Songbirds of Sorrow:  A Final Fantasy X Tale
by Emi Hikari
Summary: Dylan is as boring as she says she is.  Her obsession with Final Fantasy X can't be matched.  Journey with her to Spira as she aids Yuna to save the world, and to save Tidus.  **THIS STORY CONTAINS SPOILERS TO FFX.  READ WITH CAUTION**
1. Intro & Chapter 1: Purple Street Signs

Intro!-WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS SPOILERS!

This is the fanfic for Tidus! Yay! I'm excited! Alrighty, the main character is Dylan Samuels. She's a seventeen year old senior at an average high school with average friends. She's a huge Final Fantasy geek, and loves Tidus from FFX. She has one older brother, Addison, who is a freshman in college. He's not too important at first, but he is later on...like, later on as in the sequel...XD.

Dylan is of medium proportions (height and weight) with "boring" brown eyes and "boring" curly brown hair. She has an obsession with thunderstorms; she likes to sit out and watch them. Whee! ^_^ Anyway, she has a blackbelt in karate, so she's a pretty skilled fighter. She's also a good musician, not necessarily singing. Okay, so...that's pretty much it for now.

Oh, wait, one more thing...except for the first one, each chapter will begin with a flashback from Dylan's childhood/teen years, etc., just so I don't have to spend 4 chapters on all background stuff. And it will relate to the topic of the chapter at times. :D

THIS STORY IS FULL OF SPOILERS. READ WITH CAUTION.

THAT MEANS _YOU_, SWELLS!

WOO!

Chapter 1: Purple Street Signs (Song: at youtube - watch?v=dkJiOTQYe8w)

Memo: That they are... I love that town! some of this is based on my childhood. Heh. Btw, pay attention to verb tenses throughout the story. I am planning on using stream-of-consciousness in this work a lot, so stay sharp!

Well.

Before I start telling you my whole, long, intricately detailed story, let me give you background.

Hi, first of all. Dylan Avery Samuels is the name. Yes, I do have a boy's name, the whole schmeer. Just like my brother has a girl's name.

All in all, I consider myself kind of boring. I have features the color of chocolate, except I'm not that dark. Shoot it! I'm from Indiana, alright? Nothing _ever_ happens there!

Seriously, I grew up in the most boring place ever: Brownsburg. Only two things are neat about this town: the street signs are all purple with the school bulldog on them, and the marching band.

Which is my life.

I grew up watching bands. I used to watch the southern bands from Georgia and Louisiana and such, and I wanted to do that!

...You know, I need to explain someone else, too, before I go any farther.

I grew up on this quiet little street, and there was only one girl my age.

Her name was Emilia Stephens, and she was not a stereotypical female.

Emilia had about four different names: Emilia, Emily, Emi, and Em. I prefered the two latter. Only her parents called her Emily, and other adults and friends called her Emilia.

She was my best friend. Everyone else judged her right away.

She was black. But she wasn't like, completely ghetto at all. In fact, I'm probably more ghetto than her.

We were best friends from the beginning, really. We hardly really ever FOUGHT, not like, full-out, I'm-not-speaking-to-you sort of stuff. I had that feeling that we'd always be best friends, and nothing could ever come between us.

Being best friends, we were also bandmates. She played flute, a perfect instrument for her, and I was the only decent female trombonist the school had seen in ages. My big brother Addison-or Addy-was in drumline.

I love band. There were things about it that I hated, but the good things overweighed the bad. And some bad things became good things with slight change over time.

So, to give you the background on me, let me start with where the story really begins: my senior year of band camp.

Brownsburg High School wasn't one of those schools that traveled for band camp. We weren't an Avon school; we weren't that wealthy. But we weren't a Plainfield school, who didn't even get turf until the fall of 2008. And even then, it was overstuffed. Well, we never had turf, actually...but we had a pavement field in addition to the nice, grass football field.

Yep, we were pretty hardcore. Mr. Vrabec and Mr. Runyon liked it that way. Ahh, yes, Papa Vrebec and Uncle Runyon. They were good guys.

And then there was Joey.

Joey was not your typical flaming visual instructor.

I remember my freshman year...he told us he was an intern at Lilly in the cancer department.

"Oohhh, so _that's_ why we can't find the cure to cancer!" I whispered, and everyone who heard me tried to contain laughter.

Whoa, wait, getting off track.

Back to the story.

So, last day of my senior year of band camp. Go class of 2010!

Gosh, it was hot. Typical Indiana weather. It was a time like that I felt really sorry for Emi.

"Now I know how my ancestors felt," she said, fanning herself with her hand.

"Bandana?" I offered, holding out a green, sopping-wet bandana.

"Por favor," she responded with a super-fake Spanish accent. She was planning on majoring in foreign languages, her specialty. Glancing over her shoulder, she pointed. "Heh heh, looks like one of your freshman is getting into trouble again with Joey."

"Again?"

This year in particular God gifted this school with the dumbest set of freshmen trombonies ever. Jason, Grant, Joe...all three of them put together had the IQ of a rock. They couldn't even do push-ups...and they're BOYS!

"Alright, it's biff time. I'll handle this."

So, once again, I had to drag Jason's ss out of the shark tank.

Stomping over to Joey and said "wonder boy," I politely tapped Joey on the shoulder.

"WHAaa...hey Dylan," he said.

"Is there a problem I need to know about?" I asked kindly.

"Girl, you are on top of it!" he shouted, slapping me on the back. I jumped slightly, then grinned. What a fruit.

"He says I can't keep my feet in time!" Jason whined, pointing at Joey.

"You probably can't," I admitted, smiling. At that point Emi's curiousity got the best of her, and she trotted over to me.

Emi was a whopping 5'4'', 120 pounds, and compared to my 5'7'', 145 pounds, she was tiny, so she trotted, trust me.

"Can't what?" she asked.

"Can't march in time," I answered.

"Haha, nope!"

"Hey, you dumb-"

"HEY!" I swatted Jason on the arm. "What was the first rule I gave you guys?"

He sighed, obviously caught in the act.

"Never insult Emilia Stephens, or you'll make my day miserable each time it happens," he quoted.

"Good. Now go."

He blinked.

"Go! Go run the hill. Now!"

Ahhh, yes. The hill.

Few people enjoyed running the giant hill that sat next to our practice field. There was this nice little trail through the surrounding wooded area, and that led out to the sidewalk across the other practice field, but when you're running through there, trying not to break something-in your body, not on the ground...well, nobody liked that.

The three of us watched in amusement as Jason clomped up the hill, stopping at the large tree at the top to catch his breath.

"Keep going!" Joey shouted, and Emi and I laughed.

The rule that I had given my freshmen was also the same rule Emi had given her freshmen. We didn't bother telling the juniors and sophomores; they already knew we were best friends. We weren't going to let anything come between us.

"Alright, back to work, c'mon," I said, dragging the panting Jason behind me.

I can honestly say that we all worked quite hard in band. The days were longer than I would've liked to have had, but it was worth it in the end. I wanted so badly to be the first class to have all 4 years at State under my belt. Most other classes had 3.

And trust me, I didn't want my class's slogan to be "three outta four ain't bad!" either.

"Dyl, five more minutes!" Trisha called out.

"SHUT UP!" I shouted. That was my ultimate pet peeve. There were _four hours _left, not five minutes, and shouting "five more minutes!" every five minutes was irritating as hell.

Trisha was our other close friend. Unfortunately, she was too close for my liking.

Trisha had a tumor in her brain, and though she was fine now, it would eventually kill her in the next few years. Her senior year was expected to be her last normal year alive.

It was the amazing trio: Emi, Trisha, and myself. The flute, clarinet, and trombonist. These three best friends who couldn't be separated.

At least, that's what I thought.

Coming home that night, I realized that there was no more band camp left for me. Nothing left at all. I had a competition season left, and then it was over. That was the last time I'd sweat and swear for over eleven hours on our practice band field...

Emi and Trisha were different. Emi was in our show choir, and Trisha had swimming and track, where her other, closer friends remained. I was done after this...well, except winter drumline, but that so doesn't count. _This_ was my time of reign, and I need to make it worth every last drop of energy I had!

Of course, all these thoughts were coming around as I listened to TAKE BACK by Koda Kumi.

Oh, I forgot about this...

I am a die-hard Koda Kumi fan. Ever since she did the themes for Final Fantasy X-2, I have loved every song of hers-even though I hate Final Fantasy X-2...I'll explain that later. I happen to own physical copies of all her albums, even the "best of" ones. My cell phone's ring tone is "Get It On," which was an exclusive download. I'm proud to say that I am one of the people who keeps her at the number one spot in album sales when they are released.

Emi and Trisha and I all had this fetish with performing her songs. I can't sing well, but they can, and they would, and whenever they needed anything dance/rap related, I was there.

I am the blackest white girl I know.

Heh, anyway, I mentioned that I hate Final Fantasy X-2.

I loved-and I do mean LOVED-Final Fantasy X. I loved Rikku and Auron, and all the other characters.

I despised Yuna. I mean, she was always getting captured at extremely unopportune times, and it was annoying and she was annoying and I was SO stoked to find out that at the end of a summoner's pilgrimage, they die.

And also because she got the most ADORABLE guy ever, and she DOES NOT deserve him.

I am talking about Tidus.

You cannot deny that he is downright CUTE. And his serious voice? Ah, to die for.

But...in the end...he dies.

So you know what Final Fantasy X-2 is based around?

_YUNA_.

I love Rikku. She's so cool, and I'd heard from Emi that Paine is amazing. But a whole game based around YUNA?

No, not going there.

I'd played all the Final Fantasy games, and I owned all of them...except that one.

Anyway, I've gotten off track.

I was driving home, and I could see the storm brewing out west. A soft, fuzzy feeling filled up within me, and I missed my brother.

Addison is about two years my senior, and is the best brother I could ever ask for. We both have the curly hair, but he wears his in a white boy fro. And that's just one of the thing we did together. Our interests are incredibly similar. In fact, he's the one who got me into Final Fantasy in the first place.

Addison is still the only one I could really talk to about my parents. We both agreed that we must be secretly adopted, because there was no way two dumb people could spawn two talented, smart kids.

He was at college when this whole thing started.

It started with this brewing, growing storm. I knew that Addy could see it from where he was, and that he was probably enjoying it as much I would when it came to my house. It looked ominous enough for a good lightning show. I prayed for a power outage as I pulled my truck into the garage. That always drove my parents crazy, because I had an iPod, cellphone, Nintendo DS, PSP, and other handhelds, and my parents had each other's company at most. I could obtain a happiness that they could not.

Ironically, Kumi's "Can't Lose" was playing when I pulled in. Closing the garage door behind me, I inhaled the smell of roast beef as I walked inside.

"Hello, Dylan!" my mom practically shouted from the kitchen.

"Hey," I mumbled.

"How was school?"

"Mom, it was band camp, remember?"

"Oh yeah, duh!" She slapped her hand to her forehead, grinning. "Sorry, I knew that. Well, either way, how was it?"

"The usual," I responded. It's not just "either way" with band and school. Band was my happy place. School was not.

"Well, it's supposed to rain tonight," my mother continued. The roast beef was only a leftover scent of a relaxing evening I had missed. "Good thing your practice is over, huh?"

"Yeah, sure."

To a band kid, rain is a superior blessing from God Himself, who lets up on the merciless heat for a bit and just lets it pour. Too bad that storm wasn't there just then, because we all would've held up our instruments and shouted, "LIGHTNING RODS!"

That meant either leaving practice early, or going inside to greet the nice A/C.

"Your father will be home any minute. Oh, by the way, how was karate yesterday?"

"Fine," I responded.

Okay, okay. I know it's not exactly responsible for a person to just not show up to stuff without calling in sick or whatever.

Let's get this straight: I was a black belt in karate, and I had already had band camp that day until such and such a time. Did my parents really expect me to go to karate after an eleven hour practice at band? Nope. I skipped. Karate from 9-10:30 pm? Nope. I skipped.

Instead Emi and I went to Starbucks and got lattes. They were delicious.

I just love food.

Anyway, after all this discussion with my mother about the karate practice I "attended," I dismissed myself to my room immediately. The lightning show was about to begin, and I wanted my usual front row seat. Somehow, I managed to get a front row seat for just about everything.

This includes drumline and winterguard shows, choir concerts, plays, talent shows, musicals, and others sorts of things. However, most of them have to do with middle schoolers. They all loved me for some odd, unknown reason. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I gave them gum?

"Join band! I give free gum out!"

That's actually not a bad slogan. What is it about high schoolers that makes them addicted to gum?

Anyway, I basically slumped onto my bed, physically exhausted but mentally alert. I couldn't shower yet, because of the approaching storm, so everything in the air felt icky.

So what does one do at a time like this? Turn down the thermostat in their room!

And guess who didn't have one?

That's right: me.

So I had to rest in the pit of misery. The only option was to open my window. So I did.

That was a decision that I will never forget.

It really didn't mean anything at first. It was just a simple, cool breeze against my face. I didn't have any screen blocking the way of the wind, so it felt so nice.

And then my cell phone rang with the tune of the Final Fantasy victory song. That meant it was an actual call, and that it was from someone I had been thinking about all evening: Addy.

I leaped over an AP exam book and to my cell phone, landing on my bed.

"'Ello?" I said.

"Dyl?"

"Whassup, Addy? Enjoying the storm?"

"No, Dyl, it's not a storm-"

The sudden fuzzing sound of bad reception blared in my left ear.

"Addy, you're breaking up!"

"Dyl-not a storm! -your window!"

"_What_ about my window?"

"Look-!"

Judging by the last two audible phrases, I figured Addy wanted me to look outside, so I did.

At first, I didn't really think too much about it. It was just beginning to drizzle, just enough to leave spots on the pavement. I looked up to see the biggest storm cloud I'd ever seen. But there was nothing too different about this scene, so I put the phone back up to my ear, staying at the window.

"What do you mean it's not a storm, Addy?" I asked.

"It's NOT!" he shouted.

"Why do you say that? What else could it possibly _be_?"

"-_Sin_!"

My first instinct was to scream. Sin. Tidus's dad, Jecht. A fantasy creature. How could such a thing occur in our world?

"You're _crazy_, Addy!" I screamed into my phone.

"Believe-! It's-Sin!"

There was one choice left for me. I had to look outside again.

By this point, the rain was picking up, and the wind was blowing leaves around. I looked up.

That cloud I saw before was not a cloud.

It was really Sin.

"_Addy_!" I shrieked into the phone, but the call had been dropped from his end. Panic filled up inside of me, like whenever I knew I was about to be caught in a lie. Only this meant life or death, not a grounding or punishment.

"Dylan."

As if enough creepy things couldn't happen to me on this one night, now I was hearing voices. Male voices. Well...a male voice...singular, not plural.

"Turn around and look at me," the familiar voice commanded.

*I have _got _to be dreaming,* I told myself. *Well, whatever, I'll just play along. Maybe the dream will end more quickly that way.*

But when I whipped my rain-splashed face around, I knew that it wasn't a dream. Not the kind you fall asleep with, at least.

"Auron," I murmured, in awe. I had always wanted to meet him...but not with these circumstances. "Is this...real?"

"Unfortunately for you, yes, it is," he replied, his dark eyes peering over the top of his shaded glasses. "Tell me, are you ready for your story to begin?"

"My...story? Wow, this really _is_ Final Fantasy X!"

"Just answer the question, Dylan..."

"Well, what other choice do I have? Sure," I replied at last, my small smile fading.

"Good. Then we leave this place."

Before I could ask him what that meant, my entire room was lit up with pyreflies. I suddenly got this sick, sad feeling.

*If this is real, then...it will happen.*

I closed my eyes slowly, still a bit defiant, but I let the fayth carry me away.

I knew then that my story was about to become history.


	2. Chapter 2:  Riiiiide ze shoopuf?

Chapter 2: Riiiiide ze shoopuf? (Song: youtube, watch?v=KAzgYw7jAYM)

Memo: Oh geez. Gotta love the Hypello. :D

FLASHBACK START

"So, class, let's give a warm welcome to Patricia Grayson," Mr. Heckler said, presenting the scared 7th grader to his 4th period history class.

"Puh-lease," Emi said, smacking her head on her desk. "Let's just end this torture session you call learning and let me get on with my life!"

"Em, c'mon, she looks...nice," Dylan insisted, tilting her head to one side. "She doesn't look like a slut or a prep or anything. She looks like...us."

"Patricia, you will sit in the empty seat behind Dylan Samuels. Dylan, please raise your hand."

"S'up," she said, waving her hand around. A few giggles sounded off in the small classroom.

The quiet-looking, pale blonde girl took her seat cautiously.

"No, serious, s'up," Dylan repeated, turning to Patricia. "I'm Dylan, that's Emi." She jabbed her thumb at her chocolate-skinned friend, who was still angsting over the Trojan War project.

"Call me Trisha," Trisha said quietly. "I saw you earlier in band."

"You're in band, too?"

"Miss Samuels, I'll have quiet now," Mr. Heckler snapped, his back to her as he wrote on the whiteboard.

"Uh-huh, sure," Dylan said, turning back around.

But within ten seconds, she had already turned back to Trisha.

"What instrument do you play?" she asked.

"Clarinet."

"Ah, that's why I didn't see you." She grinned. "Woodwinds normally don't talk to brass players such as myself. Em here is an exception."

"I...um, why?"

"Who knows? Guess I intimidate them?"

"Samuels, turn around or you're at the office."

Mr. Heckler's piercing gaze met Dylan's mischievious one. She grinned once more, and he continued on.

"Sit with us at lunch, okay?" she offered to Trisha.

"Okay. Thanks."

"Samuels, _you're_ _out_!"

FLASHBACK END

I heard strange noises. I felt the air around me was warm, almost muggy. Something was very different here...

And then I remembered.

My eyes shot open at this thought, but when I saw a girl in a suit of waterproof clothes, I shut them again. Rikku was here? So... I determined I must've been near Guadosalam.

Wait. Wait. Stop.

The fact that I was thinking this was insane. It made my head pound.

Me...? In...Guadosalam? TIME OUT!

Okay, first of all, I HATED Guadosalam in the game, 'cause _everyone_ knows Seymour is a pedophile! Plus the Guado were just plain creepy!

But second of all, and most importantly, GUADOSALAM IS A _MADE-UP WORLD_! How could I possibly be there?

But it really was real. I could feel the mushy sand beneath my fingertips, and I was wet, like I had fallen into the water as well. There was a slight breeze, and my super-curly hair (curlier than usual due to the humidity level) was brushing against my face.

It was real.

I couldn't help but panic a little. What was I doing here? Or, moreso, what was I _supposed_ to be doing here? What did Auron mean by "my story"? Did he mean I was supposed to find something here?

Or was I only here to aid Yuna?

Yuna...

In a small, nearly invisible percentage of my mind, I felt sorry for her. After all, she knew what she was going in to, but she didn't know what was REALLY going to happen. If she had known, would that have changed things? Surely.

And then I realized the most important thing: I couldn't change things. Yuna could not die.

Or, moreso, Yuna would have to fall in love with Tidus. I couldn't stop her. Nothing could.

So why did I feel like, somehow, there still was a chance?

"You're...not dead?"

His voice nearly caused me to jump, but I remained still. Had I really dozed off in my thoughts that I couldn't even hear his footsteps?

I could hear Rikku shuffling beside me. She was getting up, and-ah man! The funniest part of the whole game, and I had to miss it because I was pretending to be unconcious! I simply had to remember the look on Tidus's face when Rikku stripped down in front of him to her normal clothes.

"I thought I was done for, back there," she said, sighing a bit.

"Rikku! You're Rikku! Hey! You're okay! How you been?" he cried, obviously so overjoyed he was about ready to wet himself.

"Terrible!" she whined.

"You and her don't look so good..."

"'Her'?"

I knew that they were talking about me, so I decided I should respond appropriately.

"N-not particularly, thanks," I muttered, lifting my head. "Rikku, is this the guy who attacked us?"

"Ummm...yeah..." she said, looking confused.

"Well, hey." I waved at Tidus, while trying sooo hard not to pass out.

OMG.

He was so gorgeous.

Like, in the game, he was cute, but in real life, as a real person, he was _beautiful_. I know it's weird to call a guy, especially a full-grown one, "beautiful," but I can't think of any other way to describe him. His eyes looked so alive and curious at that point, and each facial feature and toned muscle was carved into perfection. He even had a bit of a glow to him, partially due to his tan, but I wondered then if it had to do with his being a dream. Or maybe just my over-active imagination. Or both.

"I'm Dylan, aaand, well, you know Rikku, I guess," I continued, shifting my weight from one leg to the other.

At that comment, Rikku shot me a look along the lines of "Yeah, but I don't know YOU!"

So I leaned over and whispered into the short, Al Bhed girl's ear.

"Look, I know you. I know Tidus. Don't ask how; I'll explain later. Just trust me, I'm on your side," I mumbled quickly.

"I guess I can handle that," Rikku said, folding her arms across her chest, smiling.

"Handle what?" Tidus inquired eagerly.

"You beating us up," I replied quickly.

"Oh! That machina... That was you two?"

"Yeah! That really hurt, you know. You big meanie!" Rikku pouted, and Tidus looked slightly upset with himself.

"W-Wait! But you attacked us!" he exclaimed at his own defense.

"That's what _you_ think!" I shot back.

"Yeah, it's not exactly what you think!" Rikku added, and I could hear the tension in her voice.

Tidus wouldn't understand now, but all Rikku wanted was to save her cousin.

"Yo!"

My heart leapt in excitement. Finally, I would really meet the rest of them...

Wakka's bright orange quoiff was the first thing that I saw among the five of them.

"Friends of yours?" he asked, gesturing to Rikku and myself.

"Uh, you could say that..." Tidus replied hesitantly, looking at me. I tried my best to look innocent, but I'll never know how well it _really _worked. The important thing was that the rest of them bought it, and they did.

And then, I could get a good look at them all.

First off, Wakka looked like a really cool guy. He was actually a bit skinnier than the game portrayed him, but still just as muscular in build. Standing next to Auron, though, he looked like a kid. Auron was a beast. He looked prepared for anything, physically or mentally. I could see the age in his eyes, the experience, the sheer strength. It's something that I'll never forget. There, he looked _alive_.

Kimahri was also quiet and beastly, but I mean that in a more literal sense. Still, he seemed just as wise and powerful as he was, standing there in a stony silence. He looked very intimidating, as did Lulu. She looked stern, even cold-hearted. But she was stunningly beautiful, too. In fact, if I hadn't known better, I would've thought she was some sort of princess or queen.

And...then there was Yuna.

She was pretty, I guess. She looked very meek, especially next to her companions. Her face was quite dainty, and she had small features...small hands, a cute nose. Yes, Yuna was the epitomy of cuteness.

Still... She didn't even look like a teenager. She looked older, maybe even older than Lulu. Her eyes looked tired, but still alive with some light. I wondered how much stress she was really undergoing in her life right now. Was I adding to it? I couldn't decide if I was happy or sad about that.

"Pleased to meet you! I'm Rikku!" Rikku exclaimed, bouncing a little. And with that, all the attention was suddenly focused on me.

"I'm Dylan, and same," I said calmly. I mean, if I had no restraint I would've sounded like this:

"OH. MY. GOSH! I can't BE-LEEEEVE I'm actually meeting you guys! This must be Disney World 'cause this is my _DREAM COME TRUE_!"

I'm seriously _that_ scary when I'm really excited.

"Yuna, Lulu... I told you about her, remember? She was the one who helped me before I was washed up on Besaid! She's an Al Bhe...beh..." Tidus stopped himself just in time before blowing Rikku's cover, but if Wakka had been any smarter, he would've guessed what Tidus was going to say by the look on his face.

}{}{}{

The eight people stood in a messy circle, most of them looking at either Rikku or Dylan. It was hard to say if they could be trusted from an outsider's point of view. But Yuna knew.

"Wow, so you, like, owe her your life!" Wakka finally said breaking the silence. "What luck meeting here, ya? Praise be to Yevon! So, uh... Rikku... You look a little beat up. You okay?"

Rikku didn't know how to answer that question, but, luckily for her, Lulu stepped in.

"Uh, Wakka..." she murmured, sounding stern, but not as much as usual.

"Huh? What?" Wakka replied cluelessly.

"There's something we need to discuss."

"Oh, go ahead." Lulu's level of irritation rose slightly.

"Girls only!" Rikku chirped for her, grabbing Dylan by the wrist. "Boys please wait over there!" Together, they ran over to a shaded area far away from the rest of the group. Yuna quietly followed.

"Right. Sorry, Wakka."

Lulu soon joined them, looking unamused.

"Alright, so what's going on with you?" Rikku cried, pointing accusingly at Dylan. "You showed up out of no where and pretended to be an Al Bhed!"

"Look, I don't know why I'm here either!" she replied, frustrated. "All I know is that Sin attacked my world, and bam! I'm here."

"'Your' world?" Lulu inquired, suddenly interested in the conversation.

"Yeah. I'm not from here. This'll sound weird, but in my world, _this_ world doesn't even exist."

"How is that possible?" Rikku asked.

"I dunno. But it's obviously not true, is it?"

The four of them were silent for a while, until Dylan added a bit to her story.

"You can trust me. I know you're trying to get Yuna to save your world, and I want to help," she admitted. "I can fight too. I don't even need a weapon! Please, let me travel with you. I promise I won't let you down."

"..."

Everyone was silent again. It was obvious Lulu and Rikku were a bit skeptical.

"I believe you."

Those three words, especially coming from Yuna, were exactly what Dylan needed to hear.

"You...really do?"

"Yes," Yuna confirmed, nodding. "I can tell that you're really being honest. Besides, where else could you go? It sounds like your world was probably destroyed for good."

"I hope not..."

}{}{}{

I couldn't believe it at first. Yuna actually trusted me? What on God's green earth would give her a good reason to?

I never realized it until not so long ago, but I figured out a reason-a good reason-why Yuna would be so willing to trust me.

At the end of her journey, not only would she die, but one of her guardians would have to become Sin. I knew for a fact that Yuna loved all of her guardians, and I don't think she would've ever have desired to let one of them be Sin. So why not let in this girl she hardly knew, someone who would most likely be a willing candidate, to be a reincarnate of Sin? That way, none of her friends would have to be sacrificed, and she could die in peace.

Of course, for those of you who already know how this story ends, things didn't happen in such a planned, perfected kind of way. I was saved from becoming a monster, but at that time, I would've gladly given myself up if that meant Tidus could stay.

But there was no way around it. I might as well tell you all now.

Tidus was an unsent, a dream of the fayth. And by the end of this story, he would remain that way.

At least, in _this_ part of my story.

Anyway, Yuna smiled at me, and soon Rikku was doing the same.

"I...hope you trust me, too, Lulu?" I said timidly. More than anyone besides Tidus, I wanted her trust.

"If Yuna wills it, then I do," she replied, and her face softened a bit. I knew that she really did trust me, and not only because of _Yuna's_ wishes.

"Then, you both will become my guardians!" Yuna exclaimed, her face brightening a bit.

"Agreed!" Rikku and I said, nodding.

"Alright...then let's go talk to them." Yuna nodded at the boys, who were standing around, not even talking to each other. They looked anti-social. "And then we can continue toward Guadosalam."

"Sounds good!" Rikku agreed, and then the four of us walked back over to the clearing where the guys were waiting.

"Sir Auron... I would like Rikku and Dylan to be my guardians," Yuna said when she reached Auron.

He looked at me, and I smirked confidently. With a slight roll of his eyes, he nodded. Then he focused his attention on Rikku.

That was one thing I would never have to worry about there: my race. Brownsburg was crawling with racial discrimination going all different ways. Here, unless you were Al Bhed or a Hypello, it didn't matter.

"Show me your face," Auron commanded, looking sinister. "Look at me."

"Oh, okay." Rikku lifted her face ever so slightly, her eyes closed.

"Open your eyes."

Slowly, Rikku revealed a pair of emerald jewels, accented with a swirl pattern acquainted with the Al Bhed race.

"As I thought," Auron said, a slight sigh to his voice.

"Um... No good?" Rikku said, sounding very disappointed. Auron hesitated before replying.

"Are you certain?"

"A hundred percent! So, anyway... Can I?" Even though she said nothing more, I could tell she was pleading with her eyes with all her might.

"If Yuna wishes it," came his reply.

"Yes, I do," Yuna said without hesitation.

"Rikku's a good girl," Tidus added, "She helped me a bunch!"

"Well, I'm for it! The more, the merrier!" Wakka said, sounding unusually cheery.

"Then I'll just have to be the merriest!" Rikku boasted. "Rikku, at your service!"

"Okay! ...So...uh, Rikku...what exactly can you _do_?" Tidus asked, scratching his head.

"Well, with my weapons, I can steal stuff and mix things and blow stuff up!"

...

...

...I don't suspect that was the best way of explaining her abilities, but Wakka and Tidus seemed intrigued.

"I wanna see that! Let's go find some fiends!" Tidus exclaimed, running down the road to Guadosalam.

"Guess you're gonna be pretty well liked!" I said to Rikku as we chased after him.

"Yeah, but it's really no big deal..." she insisted. I could practically see the anime sweatdrop on her forehead.

"It is to them!"

Finally, Tidus found a small lizard-like fiend and pointed to it.

"Do something cool!" he shouted, practically bouncing up and down.

Rikku cast me a helpless glance, then joined Tidus. In no time at all, Rikku had stolen two bomb cores from a chest, had mixed them, and had blown up the lizard fiend.

"WO-O-OW!" Tidus shouted. "That was great!"

"W-What did you just do?" Wakka stammered in disbelief.

"I can combine items and use them like this," Rikku explained. "It's not that tough, really."

"That _was_ pretty cool," I admitted, grinning. Never had I imagined seeing that sort of thing in real life!

"Yeah, I bet you're jealous!" Tidus said to me.

"Hardly."

"What do you mean?" He laughed; I raised an eyebrow. "I mean, c'mon, you don't even have a weapon with you!"

"Yes, I do," I insisted, a little pissed that someone would DARE underestimate me. "It's the best weapon of all! MYSELF!"

Tidus and Wakka burst into laughter.

"What, you wanna go?" I threatened, then realized my choice of language wouldn't really make much sense to them.

However, Tidus seemed to understand.

"What, you mean fight? Gladly."

"Oh come now," Lulu said angrily. "Already you're fighting?"

"Let me just prove myself, okay?" I insisted, drawing myself up to full height. Tidus was about to get a taste of what a high-level blackbelt is truly capable of!

}{}{}{

Tidus pulled out his sword and swung it at Dylan. She stood her ground confidently.

"Let's do this!" he shouted. She nodded, still just as confident as ever. Her brain started racking through everything her sensei had taught her over the years. She knew she could not lose this fight.

*I'll let him make the first move,* she thought, standing still as a stone.

Tidus didn't hesitate; he immediately charged toward Dylan, sword raised over his head.

Just as he started to swing it down, Dylan swiftly rolled out of his way and got right back up.

"Aw, are you scared? You gonna run away this whole time?" Tidus taunted her.

"No," she responded, surprisingly calm.

"Go Tidus!" Wakka shouted, but was quickly reprimanded by a punch in the gut, thanks to Lulu.

"_She's_ with us now, _too_," she said angrily, then resumed watching the battle.

"HIIIYAAAA!" Tidus cried, swinging his sword at her again. This time, Dylan rolled away and unleashed a quick series of kicks and punches to Tidus' back, causing him to fall on his face.

"Ugh, alright, that's it!" Tidus got up, his face coated with dirt. He sneezed cutely, rubbed his nose, then charged again, this time with a bit more speed.

Dylan knew she couldn't dodge this, so instead she decided to block it.

With a sharp cry, she smacked her closed fists into Tidus' forearms, causing him to drop his sword in pain and shock. As it fell, it nicked Dylan's shoulder.

*Funny...* she thought as it fell to the ground. *In real life, I'd be bleeding. But it only felt like a papercut. I wonder...*

Tidus scooped up his sword with great speed, but Dylan was quicker. Kicking it out of his hands and high up into the air, she unleashed a full assault on Tidus, and she didn't dare hold back.

Stunned, Tidus fell backward onto the ground, and Dylan, placing a foot on his stomach in triumph, caught his sword as it traveled back to the ground.

"Are you scared?" she mimicked, smirking broadly. "I think we'll end it here."

Dylan threw the sword on the ground beside Tidus, and she turned her back on him to walk toward Rikku, who was dancing in joy.

"Yay Dylan! Go Dylan! You-!"

At a last attempt of stealth, Tidus jumped and tried to attack Dylan one last time.

"HI_YA_!"

Once again, Tidus flew back at the earth, thanks to a powerful roundhouse kick in the gut from Dylan.

"Uh-oh...I think that one might've gotten him for good," she said, a little concerned.

"He deserved it," Auron muttered, walking over to the unconcious teen. "His ego is much too big for his body these days..."

"Come on, let's get him to Guadosalam," Lulu said, beginning to walk away. "We're almost there."

"C'mon, Dyl! Can I call you that? I'm going to, champ! Hey, did I mention I can help you guys customize equipment now? Isn't that the coolest!" Rikku blathered on, dragging Dylan away.

She grinned, but cast back one more look at Tidus, lying on the ground. Her first encounter had not been as she expected. So what did that mean for what was to come?


	3. Chapter 3:  The Fairytale Plot Thickens

Chapter 3: The Fairytale Plot Thickens... (Song: youtube - watch?v=50Zx9aKS9Pw)

FLASHBACK START

"I don't care what you say, Dyl," Emi complained. "I _hate_ creative writing."

"It's not that bad," Dylan insisted. "At least guidelines aren't _completely_ forced upon us."

"Point," Trisha said, sighing as she twirled her pencil. "But c'mon. Writing a fairytale? I _hate_ that stuff."

"You're telling me, but I still need the decent grades," Dylan said, pouting a bit. "I think my princess will be a dragon in disguise."

"A dragon? Ugh, can you imagine the morning breath?" Emi said, grinning. Dylan thrust her foot into Emi's shin, and she yelped. "Okay, okay. Well, at least you have an idea, even if it's lame."

"Wait, didn't Miss McKnappland say it was okay if we worked together?" Trisha said quickly. "I mean, three heads are _surely_ better than one!"

"You're _def _just saying that 'cause you have no ideas," Dylan muttered. "Fine. Whatever. Let's do this. Teamwork. Go juniors in desperation." She tossed her pen at Emi. "But you have to write it. Best handwriting award."

"Fine, fine. I'll protect your grades if you protect mine."

FLASHBACK END

Lulu was right; we weren't far from Guadosalam at all.

I was still a bit in shock...how different everything was there!...And to think, I entered the plot almost halfway through the game! How would that affect this whole thing? Would I be staying here to help them until the end...?

As much as I despised Yuna, I didn't want her to have to go to Guadosalam, _especially_ to face Seymour.

"Is it really so important that we go here?" I asked Lulu. "This place looks kinda creepy."

"Yes, Yuna is to meet with Maester Seymour," she responded. I mentally dry-heaved.

"Who now?" Playing dumb.

"...Well...you'll see."

"Hey! What kind of answer is that?" I protested as we entered Guadosalam.

"Now isn't a good time to explain it," she insisted. "Someone is coming."

Sure enough, I could see the tall figure of a guado walking toward us.

"We have been expecting you, Lady Yuna," Tromell said with exceptional manners. "Welcome to Guadosalam. This way, my lady. This way."

He started to reach for Yuna, but Wakka instinctively blocked him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" he cried, looking hostile.

"Oh, I beg your pardon." Tromell drew back, genuinely startled. "I am called Tromell Guado. I am in the direct service of our leader, the great Seymour Guado. Lord Seymour has very important business with Lady Yuna."

"Business with me?" Yuna looked concerned and surprised. "Whatever could it be, I wonder?"

"Please, come inside the manor. All will be explained. Of course, your friends are also welcome..." Tromell glanced at Tidus, whom Auron was carrying, and myself. "Except...you might want to take _him_ to an inn. And _you_, young lady! My, your clothes are so _strange_! From where do you hail?"

"Uhm, I'm, uh, not from around here," I responded. "How's this: I go find new clothes and I'll take Tidus to the inn on my way. Sound fair?"

Nobody argued; I was amazed. They already all trusted me!

"Have fun carrying him around," Rikku giggled.

"Hey, you know, I could just-"

"Hey hey hey! Just joking, Dyl!"

And with that, I set off for the inn...and a new set of clothes.

}{}{}{

When Tidus finally came to, he was a bit afraid. He had no idea where he might be, other than he was somewhere in Guadosalam.

"Hey, sleepyhead," a familiar voice said.

Dylan entered his room, only now she was dressed in a brown and lavender tunic dress, with the gloves and boots to match. She finally looked...normal.

"You feeling okay?" she asked him, sitting next to him on the adjacent bed.

"Yeah, better than I did earlier," Tidus responded, rubbing his head.

Dylan drew back a little, embarrassed. "I didn't mean to knock you out or anything."

"S'alright."

"If you're sure. I probably hurt your pride some, too, huh?"

He couldn't lie about that; her face was stern but kind and sincere.

"Yeah. Whatever. At least I know I can trust you." He laughed. "I'm just glad you're on _my_ side."

"Heh, that makes _me_ feel better." Dylan stood, stretching her arms. "Well, everyone else is in Seymour's manor. Ready to head over there?"

"Sure."

Pushing himself up from the bed, Tidus stretched as well, then followed Dylan to the manor.

"So, uh, where are you from, anyway?" he asked. "I've never seen clothes like the ones you had on before."

"Uhm, well..." She sighed, obviously defeated. "Alright, I guess you'll find out eventually anyway." She sighed again, slowing her pace. "Where I'm from, this world doesn't exist. It's...a video game. Like, someone made up the plotline and created a game out of it."

"That's weird," Tidus said, scrunching his nose in confusion. "'Cause in this world, _your_ world is a video game to _us_."

Dylan stopped mid-step, eyes wide.

"! For real?"

"Hah, nah, I don't even know what a video game_ is_."

}{}{}{

If I hadn't been so fond of him, I would've beat him all over again.

"Haha, very funny...Well, for your information, a video game is a game you play with a small machine with a memory chip and you control the character on a screen you watch." That's the best way I could've described it so that he could understand without the in-depth talk of graphics and development...

"Hah, okay... Wait. Wait a minute."

Tidus grabbed my arm suddenly, and I nearly slid and fell on my butt.

"What?" I snapped.

"So, if you've played a video game of this world...does that mean you know what's going to happen to us?"

I couldn't answer him. I froze.

"You do, don't you?"

"N-no! That's not necessarily true!" I cried, stumbling over my words. "Now that I'm here, things could change a little bit. But other than that..."

"Okay, can you just tell me one thing?" Tidus asked.

"It depends on what you want to know. I don't want to mess with this world's order."

"...Are we going to defeat Sin?"

"...I can't answer that," I said quietly, my voice constricted by tears. I wanted to say, "Yes, you are! And Yuna won't die! ...But you will. You have already." But I couldn't do that. He didn't even know that Yuna would possibly die at the end of her pilgrimage yet.

"Okay, I understand." ? Was it really that simple to him? Yes or no? "Besides, we're here."

"Oh, you're right."

The mansion was incredibly ominous, moreso that it had ever been in the game. Walking inside, we saw the rest of the gang waiting around. Tidus automatically went over to Wakka. I didn't do anything at first, but then I didn't get a choice; Rikku grabbed my arm and dragged me over to where she was waiting.

"For real, you seriously kicked butt!" she exclaimed rather loudly. At hearing her words, Tidus glanced over.

"Does it really matter anymore?" I said, loud enough for Tidus to hear. He turned back around.

"Of course!" She lowered her voice. "Truth is, I really don't like these pilgrimage things. It's a waste of effort! With your help, it might be easier to find another way to defeat Sin."

"A waste...of effort? Doesn't defeating Sin bring peace to Spira?"

"Temporarily. It's not worth people dying over. Sin is always reborn."

"...So...Yuna's going to die if we keep going?"

"Yeah. But I'm _not_ gonna let that happen to her!"

I was about to protest this-if Yuna felt it necessary to bring peace to this world, then she would most likely do whatever needed done.

However, I was interrupted by Tromell again.

Upon a closer look, I realized he wasn't nearly as intimidating as I thought he might be. He looked troubled, old, tired, but yet, he somehow looked dignified as he let out a pleased chuckle.

"Truly, it is good to have guests again," he said sincerely. "Since Lord Jyscal passed away, these halls have been too quiet."

"The death of Lord Jyscal was a great loss for all of Spira," Yuna agreed as we followed him into the main dining room. Tidus and Wakka went off on their own again.

}{}{}{

"Was that Maester Jyscal really such a great guy?" Tidus asked Wakka, confused at the attention of this strange family.

"He brought the teachings of Yevon to the Guado," Wakka confirmed. "He was truly a great man."

His reply was loud enough for Tromell to hear, because he joined in on the explanation.

"Truly, a loss for us all. But now a new leader, Lord Seymour, has come before us. Lord Seymour is the child of a Guado and a human. He will be the tie that binds our two races together. But that is not all, I think. Lord Seymour... He will surely become the shining star that lights the way for all the peoples of Spira."

"That is enough, Tromell."

And there he was, in the flesh.

Maester Seymour.

Tidus felt stupid, as chills ran down his spine. He had seen this guy before, and yet he was still filled with disgusted awe every time he looked at him. Everyone else in the room had seen him before, and yet he was the only one with this problem.

At least, he thought this only until he saw the look on Dylan's face. Her reaction made him feel better. She obviously didn't care for Seymour, either.

"Must I always endure such praise?" he said, mixing arrogance and modesty in a confusing way. "Welcome!"

"You...wanted to see me?" Yuna said timidly. Tidus felt sorry for her again. Why couldn't she just choose to live a normal life? Just because her dad was famous...did that mean she was really obligated to do all this?

Seymour seemed unfazed; he swept his long-fingered, large hand across the room. "Please, make yourselves at home. There's no rush."

"Please, keep this short," Auron said crisply. "Yuna must rush."

"Pardon me. It has been a long time since I had guests." Seymour appeared calm, but Tidus could easily see the fierce gleam in his eyes, telling the others that Auron had officially irritated him. "Lady Yuna, this way."

}{}{}{

I had seen this particular moment so many times in my dreams, both day and night.

But no matter how many times I played the scene over in my head, nothing could've prepared me for what happened.

When the group of us stepped forward toward Seymour, everything around our feet danced in light. Stars and galaxies...planets...everything in the universe floated around us. It was...breathtaking. I watched in awe while Rikku and Wakka tried to reach out and touch the shooting stars. Everyone was ooh-ing and aah-ing, but I couldn't move. I just wanted to see one thing.

"This sphere is a reconstruction created from the thoughts of the dead that wander the farplane," Seymour said quietly.

The scene changed, and then I could move about. Then I felt free. Floating through the memory of Zanarkand, I felt alive...because I knew that these people existed once, too. Just like Tidus.

"Zanarkand!" Tidus exclaimed, obviously confused. We were now in the Blitzball Stadium entrance. I wanted to explore. I wanted to be with things that would make me be more like Tidus. I only wanted to be closer to him.

"Correct," Seymour replied. "Zanarkand as it looked one thousand years ago."

I could feel Lulu looking at me, and we exchanged glances for a moment, but then a beautiful piece of scenery caught her eye. She was just as distracted as I was. Something about the city...was uplifting.

"The great and wondrous machina city, Zanarkand. She once lived in this metropolis."

I heard Auron grunt quietly next to me. He sounded amused.

"She, who?" Yuna inquired, looking to Seymour.

He didn't answer; he didn't really need to. The images changed, and we were back on solid ground. I wanted to see more of the city...but I knew my time would come. Someday.

"Lady Yunalesca!"

There, just as Yuna had proclaimed, sat the woman. She was actually quite beautiful, but intense, almost to a frightening level of beauty.

"She was the first person to defeat Sin and save the world from its ravages," Seymour continued. "And you have inherited her name." He gestured to Yuna.

"It was my father who named me," she modestly replied.

"Lord Braska was entrusting you with a great task. He wanted you to face Sin, as Lady Yunalesca did. However, Lady Yunalesca did not save the world alone. To defeat the undefeatable Sin...it took an unbreakable bond of love-of the kind that binds two hears for eternity." Seymour bowed as he spoke, and then a man appeared.

"Whoa," I whispered as he walked right through Yuna and over to Yunalesca. They embraced, and even with this fictional, holographic image, I could feel myself burning with rage. Why was this world so unfair? I didn't want to be thrown here, not if I couldn't be happy.

Then a wave of guilt hit me hard as I saw Seymour whisper into Yuna's ear. She had it much worse than me. Much, much worse. I could see the embarrassment practically explode out of her as she dashed to guzzle down an entire glass of water. It took her about two seconds to do so, and her face was bright pink. She fanned herself quickly as Rikku and I approached her.

"Wow! Your face is beet red!" Rikku squealed.

"Yeah! What's going on?" I asked.

"You okay?" Tidus added.

"He...he asked me to marry him!" she exhaled, alarmed.

Everyone exploded in different emotions.

"You serious?" Tidus said. I could tell he was doing his best to stay calm, but...

"You know what Yuna must do," Auron said bitterly, looking to Seymour.

"Of course." Seymour practically shrugged it off. "Lady Yuna-no, all summoners-are charged with bringing peace to Spira. But this means more than just defeating Sin. She must ease the suffering of all Spira. She must be a leader for the people. I proposed to Lady Yuna as a maester of Yevon."

"So?" I shouted. "That doesn't mean the world is gonna become safe just like that!"

"Spira is no playhouse," Auron agreed, walking toward Seymour, a threatening gleam in his eyes. "A moment's diversion may amuse an audience, but it changes nothing."

"Even so, the actors must play their parts."

Seymour looked to Auron and I, then to Yuna, and he focused his attention on her. "There's no need to answer right away. Please, think it over."

Yuna whimpered quietly, averting her eyes.

"We will do so, then. We leave."

And that was that. It had happened: the spiral of events that would lead to just another fantasmic heartbreak, leaving Yuna and I to suffer.

"Lady Yuna, I await your favorable reply," Seymour added.

*F*cking bstard,* I thought as we went our separate ways. I could tell by the look on Tidus' face that he was thinking along the same lines.

As much as I hated Yuna, that was a punishment no one I knew deserved.

"Why are you still here, sir?" I heard Seymour say.

Auron, who was right in front of me, stopped dead in his tracks. Tidus stopped as well, and I, also, stayed with them.

"I beg your pardon. We Guado are keen to the scent of the Farplane."

"I bet you are..." I muttered angrily. With him treating Auron the way he was...ugh! I couldn't WAIT to shove my hands down that nasty fiend's throat.

"C'mon," I added, dragging away Tidus, who was sniffing Auron like some sort of adorable puppy. Annoying...but adorable.

}{}{}{

"Yuna, the high summoner's daughter. Seymour, the leader of the Guado. Married in the name of Yevon, overcoming the barriers of race." Lulu crossed her arms and finished, "It would give Spira something cheery to talk about, for a change."

"Sounds just like a passin' daydream, like Auron says," Wakka declared in a modest voice.

"I agree with that, but I do see how this proposal could be conceived as 'good,'" Dylan admitted, frowning.

"Come on, let's just get on with the pilgrimage! I mean, marriage?" Tidus argued.

"Hmmm. Jealous?" Rikku prodded playfully.

"What? No way!" Rikku rolled her eyes as Tidus continued. "We gotta defeat Sin. _Romance_ can wait!"

"He sure picked a fine time to lay this one on us." Wakka's frown matched Dylan's.

"Maybe it _is_ a fine time."

Yuna chose her tone delicately; she knew this could be one of the biggest mistakes of her life.

"You serious?" Tidus said quickly.

"If my getting married would help Spira...if it would make people happy... If I could _do_ that for people...maybe I should do what I can. I never imagined doing anything like this. But, I won't answer till I know what's right."

"Seriously?" Tidus sounded unconvinced.

"You can always just quit your pilgrimage and get married," Rikku suggested, and Dylan threw her a "be careful" side glance.

"I will...go on. I'm sure that Lord Seymour will understand." Yuna nodded once, as if to confirm this with herself.

"Umm, I guess so..."

"I am a summoner! I must fight and defeat Sin," she said firmly.

"Like Braska before you," Auron added as a reminder to Yuna.

There was an awkward silence, then Yuna stood.

"I'm going to the Farplane," she said. "I'm going to see my father and think on this."

Go on, we'll be right behind you," Lulu reassured her.

The eight of them stood in silence again, and finally, they began to head over to the Farplane, all of their heads raging with unsaid words, swimming with conflicting thoughts.


	4. Chapter 4:  Inevitable Goodbyes

Chapter 4: Inevitable Goodbyes (Song: youtube - watch?v=-61rQ-WtVgE)

Memo: This chapter is dedicated to Jordan Elaine House, born 9/13/90, died 3/25/08. We love you and miss you. Another note, the poem in this is from an anonymous author.

FLASHBACK START

Dylan felt tears come to her eyes again as Emi slowly went up to the podium, her hands shaking with a sheet of paper.

"I wrote this for Jordan," Emi said quietly, still shaking, tears swimming in her chocolate eyes. "The day after she died."

Emi cleared her throat, then continued.

"God saw she was tired, a cure was not meant to be. So He put his arms around her and whispered, "Come with Me." With tearful eyes we watched her suffer, and saw her fade away. Although we love her dearly, we could not make her stay."

Emi cleared her throat again, inhaling sharply. Trisha squeezed Dylan's hand, and they both knew that this was the hardest thing Emi had ever done.

"A golden heart stopped beating, hard-working hands laid to rest. God broke our hearts to prove to us that He only takes the best."

Trembling, Emi bolted offstage and down to the front row, where her fellow show choir friends were sitting.

Jordan had been one of their best friends, but had died because of a sudden stroke, even at the age of 16.

*No one should have to lose a friend this young,* Dylan thought. She glanced at Trisha, and a wave of sadness overwhelmed her. *In a few years, Trisha will be the one...* She shook her head. *No one should have to lose a friend. Ever.*

FLASHBACK END

"Question!" Tidus shouted, joining the group. "About this Farplane... When somebody dies, a summoner sends them to the Farplane, right? So their souls, or..._whatever_ they are, they go to the Farplane, right? But that's the Farplane we're going to, right? And Yuna's old man's there, too? Do dead people live there or something?..."

I watched as Tidus got a far-off look in his eyes, then shuddered audibly. It was kind of ironic; had I not already played Final Fantasy X, I would've thought the same exact thing.

"You're thinking those funny thoughts again, ya?" Wakka joked, but the tone of his voice was serious.

Tidus grinned sheepishly, chuckling, while nervously rubbing the back of his head.

"You'll see once we get there."

*Yeah, we'll see,* I thought, looking ahead. I wanted to go in.

I was eager to follow as the rest of our group headed up the stairs to the entrance of the farplane, but I paused as Auron took a seat, and when Rikku followed suit, I stopped completely.

"Aren't you coming?" Tidus asked Auron.

"I do not belong there," he replied without eye contact.

Tidus let out a cocky little laugh, then declared, "You're scared!"

"Searching the past to find the future... This is all that is there. I need it not. You'd better be going."

"You're not _really_ going to see the dead, more like your memories of them," Rikku added, walking forward. I walked to the three of them, joining the discussion. "People think of their relatives, and the pyreflies react to them. They take on the form of the dead person-an illusion, nothing else."

"Hmm..." Tidus crossed his arms.

"Well, have fun!" Rikku said with a little wave.

"What, you're not going either, Rikku?" Tidus asked.

"Why won't you come with us?" I wondered out loud. I have always wondered that.

"I keep my memories inside," she said, her voice trailing off a bit at the end.

"Huh?"

"Memories are nice, but that's all they are," she explained, turning her back to us. Tidus and I both knew that this was the end of the story.

"Alright, if you say so," I said sadly. "C'mon."

I motioned for Tidus to follow me, my heart pounding. I wanted to go so badly, even though I had no one to really see.

But then, as I climbed those stairs, I realized that I would be interferring with something important. I couldn't be there as Yuna thought. Her decision had to stay the same.

In other words, I couldn't go to the Farplane.

"I... I changed my mind," I said suddenly as we neared the entrance. "Rikku's right. Memories are better left inside, where they belong."

Tidus stopped with me, and he gave me the funniest look. I wish I could've taken a picture of it. Words couldn't describe the mix of emotions written on his pretty face.

"Okay...I guess I can't force you to go..." he considered, grinning. "Stay here, party pooper!"

And with that, he ran inside the realm of the Farplane.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

*Things shouldn't change,* I thought as I slowly walked back down to where Rikku and Auron were sitting. *Now I've got nothing to do but wait.*

}{}{}{

"What the...?"

Tidus looked around, fascinated.

The farplane was nothing more than a small slab of rock, but really, if he had been able to see it from above, it was a small island, floating in clouds of nothingness. Underneath those clouds, it was a paradise. Fields of golden and lavender flowers swayed in the invisible breeze, and waterfalls cascaded down. Everything was lit up by a silver moon, floating in the sky.

If this was really where he was going to go when he died, he was okay with that. It was really beautiful.

*Her parents...they look so happy together,* he thought, now looking to Yuna. She stood by herself, and the memory of her parents faced her. *What will seeing them do for her? Won't that make her _consider_ being married...?*

Tidus listened as words came from Wakka, speaking to his memory of Chappu as if an actual conversation was being carried on.

"He is dead, and I am still alive," Lulu said quietly when Tidus approached her. She was looking right at Chappu. "Coming here really makes that clear. I should focus more on what I have to do now." Lowering her head, she chuckled quietly.

"What?" Tidus said, turning to her, a bit alarmed.

"I'm not even sure what I'm saying," she admitted, laughter still in her voice.

"Don't you mean that you should leave Chappu behind?" Tidus asked. "I'm sure he was a great guy, but there'll be others."

"Hmm...that's a possibility."

"How about...Wakka?" Tidus suggested.

"What, me? With Wakka?" Lulu snapped.

"Yeah, you two get along great!"

"Getting along isn't enough. Not even close."

"Oh, sorry. My mistake."

"You'd do well to remember that," Lulu said, her voice icy. "Knowing a bit about women might come in handy some day."

"Yeah, I'll remember," Tidus said casually.

"I won't be forgetting either. Goodbye, Chappu. You always said I looked grumpy. But those were the happiest days of my life."

Tidus smiled grimly, then walked away without another word. He felt that he had given Yuna enough time to make a decision now.

"So...Yuna?" he said hesitantly as he approached her.

"I've decided," she confirmed, glancing at him, then back to her parents.

"Oh? Really? That's good." He was a little surprised that she had made the decision so quickly and so confidently.

"I remember, when I was only seven years old, in Bevelle that day. My father had defeated Sin, and the whole town was out in the streets. Everyone was laughing. They all seemed so happy." Yuna paused for a moment. "If I defeated Sin, that would make everyone happy...wouldn't it?" When Tidus didn't answer, she continued. "I must do what _everyone_ wants, not just what _I_ want."

"Let's go back! You gotta tell Seymour."

"Before that..." Yuna turned to Tidus, smiling. "Call Sir Jecht. Give it a try." In response to Tidus' "you're crazy, woman" look, she added, "Don't worry. He won't come."

Tidus tried to avoid those painful memories, but they came anyway, and Jecht, as he knew it would be, was not there.

"See, told you!"

*He isn't here because he's not dead. He's Sin,* Tidus wanted to say, becoming angry.

Yuna giggled. "That means he's alive, you know?"

*What if my old man really is Sin? What would I say to Yuna...heck, to everybody in Spira? Wait, why should I have to apologize for him, anyway?*

"I'd rather never seen him again," he admitted out loud.

"What makes you hate him so?" Yuna asked timidly.

"Everything he does just makes me mad. It was his fault that me and my mother..."

Suddenly, Tidus' mother appeared before them.

"Mom?" Tidus asked in disbelief. As the image became more clear, he knew it was her. "It's her!"

"She's very pretty," Yuna said quietly. Tidus took this in for a moment.

"But... Wait. No one ever performed the sending for her."

"She must have accepted death while she was still alive."

"Whoa there, that's my mother you're talking about."

"Oh, I'm sorry!"

Tidus shook his head. "It's okay. I think I just figured something out."

"What?"

"Why I hate my old man."

Tidus let childhood memories play around in his head for a while.

"Whenever my old man was around, my mother wouldn't even look at me," he said. "Maybe that's when I started to resent him, even hate him. When he left us...Mom just lost her energy..."

He remember when Auron came to visit him near his mother's death.

"The old lady next door told me...when a lovebird dies, the one left behind... It just gives up on living so it can join its mate. It was just like that. I hated my old man even more. But really, my old man..."

He couldn't finish his sentence. It would've been a compliment his father didn't deserve.

"Oh, man... I must sound so stupid," he finally said.

"I don't think so," Yuna said kindly.

"How embarrassing!" Tidus slapped his hand to his forehead, disgusted with himself.

"Well?"

Tidus and Yuna turned at the sound of Wakka's voice.

"Need some more time?" he asked.

"No, I'm ready," Yuna declared.

"Did I...miss something?" Lulu asked, looking from Yuna to Tidus, the latter of whom laughed nervously. He knew, though, that there was nothing to be nervous about anymore.

Yuna had made her decision.

}{}{}{

I thought it was strange-and I still do-how Yuna practically bounded out of the Farplane. Was she really that happy about her decision? Or was it just the fact that a huge weight was lifted off of her shoulders?

"Thanks for waiting!" she exclaimed cheerfully, walking briskly past a couple of Guados headed to the Farplane. "I'll go give my answer to Maester Seymour."

Suddenly, just as we were about to leave, we heard gasps, and I knew what was happening now.

"Lord Jyscal!" the female Guado breathed.

"Lord Jyscal!" her assumed husband echoed.

Though I had heard the moans and groans from the game multiple times, nothing was even close to the eerieness of those gut-wrenching growls coming from the spirit of Lord Jyscal. I never have heard anything like that since.

"He does not belong here," Auron stated, and I could sense the faint trace of worry in his voice.

"Why?" Yuna gasped. It wasn't so much a response to Auron as it was a response of fear and sadness.

"Yuna, send him."

As soon as Yuna proceeded up the staircase once more, Auron dropped to his knees, sounding sick.

"Are you going to be okay?" I asked him quietly, kneeling to his level. He didn't respond verbally, but by the look in his eyes, I knew I shouldn't worry. It wasn't his time yet.

Even though I knew that Tidus and Auron still had some time left in Spira, I couldn't help but feel worried whenever Yuna had to perform a sending. The paranoia was getting to me, and I could feel myself losing hope.

"Lord Jyscal..." Yuna sighed.

"He is Lord Jyscal no more. Send him now!" Lulu commanded. Yuna nodded, a small sob escaping her throat. I could see the look of confusion and sadness creeping onto her pretty face, and when she completed her job, she fell to her knees, breathless, picking up the sphere Jyscal had left behind.

"Talk later. We leave now," Auron said, regaining his composure. And with that, we hurried out of the Farplane's entrance and back toward Guadosalam.

"Wha...what was that just now?" Wakka gasped, still in awe. "That really Lord Jyscal?"

"He wasn't sent, so he became a fiend, right?" I said before Tidus could say anything.

"I don't understand how a man like Lord Jyscal could die and not be sent," Yuna argued.

"I would think he was sent once...but he stayed on Spira," Lulu said. "Something, a powerful emotion could have bound him to this world. Such things happen."

"That's against the rules, isn't it?" Rikku piped up.

"It means he died an unclean death," Auron declared, and our group fell silent. I think Yuna knew then what she was really going to try to do.

As we walked to the entrance of Maester Seymour's mansion once again, I looked around at the many faces surrounding me. They were all confused, except for, of course, Auron. I wondered if he knew that I knew just as much as he did, if not more. I wondered if he could _sense_ it.

"I will go...meet with Maester Seymour," Yuna said when we got to the mansion.

As she turned to go, I heard Auron call out, "Yuna!" She stopped, so he continued. "Jyscal is the Guado's problem, not yours."

Without a word or nod of the head, Yuna left. We all kind of dispersed then...waiting on what to do next.

I had figured that Tidus would go talk to Rikku or Lulu, because when playing the game, those were the two options. So, as you can imagine, I was startled out of my wits when I heard my name.

"Can I talk to you for a sec?" he said, motioning for me to follow him.

"Sure." Me? Me? ME? ...Wow.

"So...what do you think Yuna should do?" he asked me quietly. Eh, well, I had to have known the conversation would be around Yuna... After all, she was the Juliet of this story, and he was plainly Romeo.

"I...don't really know," I replied honestly. "I mean, there are reasons she should get married, but there are reasons she shouldn't. You know what I mean?"

"No...I don't see why she should bother."

"Well, it's just for image. I mean...it would really make people feel hopeful, and that's Yuna's main goal anyway, right?"

"Yeah, but..." Tidus sighed, pouting at me. "I get what you're saying, but I just don't know why marriage to someone she doesn't even love will make things suddenly get better. I mean, how do we _know_ if he'll let her continue on her pilgrimage?"

"We don't," I answered.

"_You_ do," he pointed out. I sighed. He got me there.

"Are you just jealous? 'Cause, you know, you could just tell me that you are. I wouldn't ever tell anyone," I teased.

"Wha-ha-haat?" he gasped, flushing crimson. "Are you kidding me?"

"Does it look like I a-a-aam?"

"No..." he admitted, pouting again.

"It's no big deal. I mean, she _is_ pretty and likeable." I shrugged. "C'mon, let's go out a little further. Don't you want to see the Thunder Plains?"

He shrugged, but I kept walking. I had to get away from that conversation before I blew it. And besides...so what if he didn't want to go?

I did.


	5. Chapter 5:  Daitan ni Ikimashou!

Chapter 5: Daitan ni Ikimashou! (Song: youtube - watch?v=vaVntrrj-RE)

FLASHBACK START

"Uh-oh," Dylan said, looking up at the blue-grey sky. "Summer skies usually don't look like this..."

"You know what that means..." Emi said, her eyes widening.

"Dyllllll!"

Dylan whipped her head around to see her older brother and his friends stripping off their shirts.

"THUNDAH STORM!" he shouted, waving his shirt above his head.

"Fluuuutes! You know what to do!" cried Hannah, the flute section leader. And then, as they were so well-trained, the entire flute section stuck their home-made lightning rods in the air. Dylan watched in amusement as Emi participated gladly, dancing around the field.

"He'll HAVE to let us inside now," Trisha said to Dylan, wide-eyed with the same amusement.

"Don't hold your breath," Dylan replied. "We'll be out here until he sees lightning himself. You should know that by now."

"Truth."

But then, as if at Dylan's very words, three large bolts of lightning shot down from the sky, and a crack of thunder filled the air.

"Allllll right you guys..." At the sound of its director's voice, the band broke into cheers of celebration.

"YES!" Dylan shouted, hi-fiving Trisha, Emi, and her brother.

"I don't know why he feels we should go inside, though," Addison said, blinking up into the rain. "What's a little rain gonna do?"

"Corrode our instruments," Emi said.

"I _like_ the rain..." Dylan said, pouting. "I wish we could stay out in it. It's cool and refreshing. There's nothing wrong with it at all..."

"Except for when you get struck by one of those suckers!" Hannah laughed, pointing at the continuous streams of lightning.

"But even that would be fun, doncha think?"

FLASHBACK END

I was actually kind of right when I said that. Go figure. I didn't ever expect to be struck by lightning, of course, but when Tidus and I reached the border between Guadosalam and the Thunder Plains, I knew it was just going to be one of those instances I couldn't avoid.

"You ready? You ready?" I cried, bouncing closer and closer to the plains.

"Not nearly as ready as you..." Tidus said sarcastically, raising an eyebrow.

"My..."

I jumped at the sound of another female's voice and quickly turned myself around. There was Shelinda, in all her meek, mousy glory.

Shelinda was just another nobody as far as the temples went, but the group of us kept running into her every so often in our journey. She was really nice, but she was also a sucker and a goody-two-shoes. More than anything, she wanted recognition, but nobody bothered to tell her that in the temples, all the high-n-mighty positions were long since filled.

"Was the lady summoner not with you?" she asked, looking at Tidus rather than me. After all, this was the first time we had ever met, so she didn't have any clue who I was. That would change.

"No," he replied. "She's at Seymour's place."

"That's 'Maester Seymour,' or 'Lord Seymour.'" At this, I turned to Tidus and stuck out my tongue to let him know I thought less of Seymour than that.

"Oh, I'll be careful," Tidus said, and I could see the grin tugging at his lips. Instead he scratched his head and added, "Sorry."

"That's all right... Oh! Maester Seymour left Guadosalam a short while ago."

"Seriously?" I asked, finally looking at her.

"I believe he went to the temple in Macalania," Shelinda confirmed. "Maester Seymour is also the high priest of that temple.

"Whoa!" Tidus suddenly tugged on my arm. "We've gotta go tell the others!"

"Right!"

And without another word to Yevon's servant, we dashed off in search of our party.

}{}{}{

After Tidus and Dylan had explained what was going on, Dylan was sent in to get Yuna, and soon the eight of them were once again standing outside of Seymour's manor, debating on the next step of their journey.

"They say Seymour went to Macarena Temple," Tidus said when Yuna and Dylan reached them. Dylan burst out laughing, while Yuna just smiled sympathetically.

"Macalania Temple," Wakka corrected.

"Aye."

"What I don't get is...why would the lord maester head off without a peep to anyone?"

"Maybe he wasn't expecting Yuna's answer so soon," Rikku suggested.

"Ah, that's probably it."

Yuna let out a small sigh.

"Yuna, what is it?" Auron asked her quietly.

"Oh, nothing," she replied, looking up at him.

"Hmm... You're a poor liar."

"It's true! It's nothing!" She shook her head quickly. "Come on, let's go."

And so, one by one, the group followed Yuna toward the Thunder Plains, with Rikku, Dylan, and Tidus at the rear.

"I'm so excited," Dylan chanted in a sing-songy voice, bouncing with each step. "This is gonna be so much fun."

"What is?" Rikku asked.

"The Thunder Plains, that's what!"

Rikku froze.

"What, what's wrong?" Tidus asked her.

"Th-Thunder Plains?" she gasped. "D-Do you know why they call them that?"

"YUP!" Dylan cheered, pulling Rikku along. Tidus followed closely.

"Why does it matter?" he asked.

"Don't EITHER of you think that storms are scary?"

Dylan screeched to a halt.

"Scary? Hardly!" she shouted. "They're the most fun thing in the world! And we're about to go run through the biggest one EVER!"

And suddenly, before Rikku could argue further, their arrival was welcomed by a huge clap of thunder. Dylan let out a wild yell and abandoned both Tidus and Rikku.

"Oh no...we're here," Rikku whimpered, hugging herself. Lightning suddenly struck, and Rikku shrieked.

"YEAH! That was a good one!" Dylan cheered, pumping her fist in the air.

"How are we supposed to cross that?" Tidus asked.

"See the lightning rod towers?" Lulu said. "The lightning is drawn to them...hopefully."

"We head north, not too near and not too far from the towers, ya?" Wakka added.

"Meaning we should avoid wide open areas," Lulu finished.

Another loud burst of lightning came forth, and once again Rikku screamed.

"I think I forgot something in Guadosalam," she said, her voice shaking.

"Nice knowing you," Auron said, dismissing her with a wave of his hand.

"Okay, okay! I'll go!" she cried.

"Don't worry, Rikku," Tidus said calmly. "The lightning rods will protect us."

"Rods? _Rods_?" Dylan shouted, laughing. "Who needs rods?"

And with a loud shout, she danced her way down into the plains, spinning around in the rain.

"Come on! It feels great!" she urged them.

"Be careful!" Yuna shouted, even though she was laughing as well.

"You know, you only live once!" Dylan shouted back.

Suddenly lightning dropped down in a flash, striking Dylan and knocking her to the ground.

"Dylan!"

Everyone was shrieking and shouting, but only Tidus was brave enough to run out to her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, offering to help her up. She _laughed_. "Dylan?"

"Th-that was amazing," she said through fits of hysterical giggling. Shoving Tidus's hand aside, she bounced to her feet. "You should try it!"

"I think I'll pass..." Tidus said, walking away. Dylan kept laughing, but followed him, and soon they were all back on track.

}{}{}{

"Ah, good day!" said a voice. I could tell it was Shelinda, and so I raced ahead of the others to talk to her with Tidus.

"Hi!" I greeted, still laughing from earlier.

"Hi there," Tidus said.

"Is it true? I heard that Maester Seymour and Lady Yuna are to be wed! It's such great news! I have to tell everyone!"

"Where'd you hear that?" Tidus asked, confused.

"From the Guado. They were all very excited!"

"I'm afraid you heard a little wrong. Yuna's gonna turn him down."

"Actually, I don't think Yuna really knows what she's going to do yet," I corrected him. "But at this point, it's unlikely they'll get hitched."

"Oh...really? I see... That's unfortunate." Shelinda hung her head and spoke to the rain-washed ground. "Well I'm sure that people would have rejoiced all over Spira."

As Shelinda walked away, I frowned. Tidus was going to be so disappointed...

"C'mon, let's keep going. The sooner this all gets settled, the better," Tidus said to me, walking away. My frown greatened. He wasn't even confident in his own words...

We all walked in silence until we reached a large lightning rod. I stopped to admire it, when suddenly a huge-ss bolt of lightning came tearing down from the sky and nailed the rod. Tidus and Yuna both shouted in surprise, while Wakka laughed.

"Whoa! That was a close one!" he joked, grinning from ear to ear. Was he enjoying himself almost as much as I was?

"Stop kidding around," Lulu scolded, pressing forward past Wakka.

"Yes, ma'am..." he mumbled, ashamed.

Suddenly we all heard this quiet, nervous laugh. I turned to see Rikku standing there alone, a wild look in her green eyes.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Wakka asked her.

She just let out that creepy, quiet laugh again.

Frustrated, Tidus imitated her laugh-accurately, might I add-and cried, "You're givin' me the creeps!"

Right on cue, another bolt of lightning hit the tower. Rikku shrieked and doubled over, then collapsed face forward on the ground.

"Rikku...?" I said quietly.

At the sound of my voice, Rikku suddenly scuttled across the ground and latched on to Tidus's leg; he was the closest person to her.

"Hey! Whoa!" Tidus shouted, looking slightly disturbed.

"I wanna go home!" Rikku cried, looking up at us. "I hate lightning! I hate thunder!" She nodded toward a small inn. "Let's go rest over there! Please?" She pointed at it, and I could see her arm was shaking.

"This storm never stops. Better to cross quickly," Auron pointed out. Rikku lowered her arm and looked at him.

"I know, but... Just for a little while?" She still kept her death grip on Tidus's leg as Tidus looked to Auron.

"Heh, well? What now?" he asked, smiling uncomfortably.

Auron sighed, and we all looked at the inn again. That was our next stop.

}{}{}{

When the group finally reached the far-off inn, Rikku immediately ducked under the cover of the overhang.

"Pretty please?" she begged, clasping her hands together. "Just a few minutes?"

Six of the seven other faces turned and walked away.

"I'm scared of lightning! Let's rest, please? Pretty please?"

The group stopped for a moment, then once again turned away and continued onward.

"I'm too young to die!" Rikku finally cried.

But it was no use. The only person left behind now was Tidus.

"You're mean...cruel!" she shouted after the group. "Your moms would be ashamed of you!"

They kept walking.

"Are you having fun doing this to me?" she snapped.

"Fine, we rest," Auron finally stated, obviously irritated. "She's worse than the storm."

Rikku immediately bolted inside at his words, while the rest of the group trudged back to the inn. One by one, they entered the Travel Agency. Dylan was the last to enter, and even as she did, she made sure to do so as slowly as possible.

However, she did enter in time to hear Yuna say something.

"I'm...a little tired," the summoner admitted. She then walked to the counter. "Do you have a room available?"

"Ah, Lady Summoner," the clerk said cheerfully. "Yes, just over that way." She subtly nodded toward the hallway to her left.

"Thank you," Yuna said, and with that, she walked away.

"Uh, Yuna?" Wakka said quietly, but Yuna either ignored him or just didn't hear, because she continued on and into the vacant room.

"It's not like her," Lulu murmured the moment Yuna was out of sight.

"Maybe she really is tired," Dylan pointed out, still dripping wet.

It was silent for a moment, and then a tall, tan-skinned, blonde-haired man walked in from the hallway of rooms.

"Nice to see you again," he said in a thick Al Bhed accent. "Welcome to the Rin Travel Agency."

Rikku shook her head slightly at his booming voice; he noticed.

"Oh?"

"Shhh!" she shushed him.

"Hmmm..." He turned to the counter, then back to the group. "I wonder... Would that be Sir Auron, by any chance? I've been wondering since I saw him at the Mi'ihen Highroad branch."

Rin walked over to Auron with large, powerful strides. His confidence was obvious to everyone, except Auron, who had his back to the group.

"Sir Auron!" Rin said. Auron turned. "I wonder if you remember me? Ten years ago? At the beginning of Lord Braska's Calm?"

"Yes," Auron replied. "I should thank you."

"Not at all. I could not leave a wounded man to die. However, I was surprised when I saw you gone the next morning, with that wound. An ordinary man would not have been able to walk."

}{}{}{

For the first time ever, I actually understood the significance of this conversation.

"I'd rather...drop that subject, Rin," Auron said. I knew why. I got it!

"As you wish," Rin agreed, and with a slight bow, he walked over to the counter.

I didn't know what to do next. Luckily, Tidus's ADHD kicked in, and he crept over to Yuna's door.

"Tidus!" I mouthed, snapping my fingers. I was still sopping wet, but that was okay. This was more important. "Tidus!"

He didn't even look up, but instead he leaned in against Yuna's door, listening intently.

"Tidus!" I said, audibly this time.

Startled, he lost his balance and fell into Yuna's room. Rikku giggled; I sighed. Even though I knew this game by heart, I still wanted to hear what they were saying.

Suddenly, Yuna rushed out of her room. Wakka, who had been watching Tidus as well, now walked into Yuna's room.

"What do you think you're up to?" I heard Wakka shout, as well as Tidus's gasps and attempts to escape Wakka's grasp.

"We...had better head to bed," Lulu said quietly. If I hadn't known better, I would've thought she sounded amused. Of course, by that point, _anything_ was possible...


	6. Chapter 6:  The Breakout

Chapter 6: The Breakout (Song: youtube - watch?v=KPny-Pu5zBI)

FLASHBACK START

"Okay, we can do this," Emi said quietly backstage. "We've practiced enough. Dyl, you warmed up?"

"Fo' sho', ho," Dylan replied, emptying the spit valve from her trombone. Emi and Trisha cringed. "Woodwinds," Dylan added under her breath playfully.

The girls punched each others' arms jokingly, trying to avoid their nervous jitters. Their first high school talent show...and certainly not the last. But it was the _fall talent show_! It was a big deal, almost as awesome as the spring talent show. Everyone came. _Everyone_.

"How 'bout you, Trisha?" Emi asked.

"Yeah, and yourself?"

"Bueno."

"So, let's show the upperclassmen what we've got!"

"It's our epic debut," Dylan added, wiggling her ghetto booty.

"Let it be such."

FLASHBACK END

We were fifth that year.

I don't know why I started thinking about those talent shows. They were some of the best times of my life. We worked so hard. People started looking forward to our acts each time. We had our own fanbase of all ages. It was so grand...

Anyway, that next morning was quiet. Tidus was now more suspicious than ever. I would've comforted him, had I not possessed all the information he wanted to know. So instead, I avoided him and stuck close to Kimahri, someone I knew wouldn't ask questions.

"It's not stopping, is it?" Rikku whimpered, standing by the exit.

"Don't tell me you were hoping it would," Auron said, walking past her.

Thunder crashed, and Rikku shrieked.

"Fine. Stay here."

Auron walked away, and I wanted to follow him soooo badly. But that would mean abandoning a friend, and I couldn't do that, even for the best and biggest storm ever.

"All right, already," she sighed, standing tall. "But! You didn't have to say it like that, you know! You could be more comforting or something! You know, try to cheer me up? You just don't get me at all, do you?" She was started to sound really frustrated. "Hey! Are you listening?"

Thunder was the only reply. This time, Rikku only let out a faint gasp, but still crunched herself over in fear. But within an instant, she stood up straight.

"I'm not scared!" she shouted angrily. "I'm not scared, you hear?"

And with that last cry, she followed Auron out into the storm. Which basically meant I could follow her.

Yes...

I could feel everyone else following me too, and I turned to confirm it. When I turned back around though, I was caught off-guard by a random passerby snapping a photo.

"Whoa...dots..." I said, blinking rapidly. "Who was that?"

"No idea!" Wakka replied, squinting.

"It doesn't matter, I guess." I shrugged. "C'mon, let's get going."

So we did. I walked and walked without looking at anyone or anything but the sky. The rain was my comfort for what was slowly approaching.

"Everyone...wait," Yuna said quietly. I stopped along with the others. It was definitely coming.

"What's up?" Wakka asked.

"I have something to tell you," she admitted.

"Here?" Lulu said, gesturing to the stormy skies above us.

"We're almost out of here! Let's go!" Rikku insisted, her eyes growing wide.

"I have to say it now!" Yuna said, an edge of anger to her voice.

Conveniently enough, there was a small, rocky shelter nearby. Auron motioned to it and said, "Over there."

"Where was this earlier?" Rikku said, frowning at me as we walked out of the rain. I grinned.

"Just out of reach, I suppose," I replied.

}{}{}{

The storm raged on around the group as they stood in silence, waiting for Yuna to speak. Tidus could feel the pressure in his chest growing, his heart pounding in his ears like the thunder he was hearing around him. This was going to be bad.

The look on Dylan's face was a dead giveaway.

Yuna took a deep, quiet breath, then stated, "I've decided to marry."

Everyone kind of shuffled nervously.

"I thought so," Lulu said quickly.

"B-But why? Why'd you change your mind?" Wakka asked.

"For Spira's future...and Yevon's unity. I thought it would be the best thing to do."

"That's not good enough," Auron declared.

"Wait, is it...is it because of Lord Jyscal?" Lulu asked suddenly, her voice sounding urgent. Tidus looked to Dylan, but her face was hidden by the darkness. He decided to speak up.

"Hey! That sphere!" he cried, stepping forward.

Auron stepped in front of him and came close to Yuna.

"Show me," he commanded.

"I can't," Yuna answered. "I must speak to Maester Seymour first. I truly am sorry, but this is..." She looked at Auron, straight in the eye. "It is a personal matter."

"You're kidding, ya?" Wakka said. It was quiet, but finally, to Tidus's shock, Auron retreated.

"As you wish," he said, walking away.

"I'm sorry," she murmured.

"Just one thing," he added.

"I won't quit my pilgrimage," she assured him with confidence.

"Then it is...fine."

Tidus could feel himself about to explode. "Fine"?

"Wait a minute, Auron!" he shouted, grabbing the warrior as he walked by. "You don't care? I mean, you're not going to stop her?"

"No, I'm not," Auron said sternly, shaking his head. "As long as she is willing to face Sin, all else is her concern. That is a summoner's privilege. As long as she journeys."

Tidus hesitated, but when he saw Dylan and Wakka nod, he released Auron, still furious.

"But that's..." He growled, unable to complete his thought.

"Yuna, just one question," Wakka said, approaching her. "Can't you just _talk _to Maester Seymour? You've _got_ to marry him?"

Yuna lowered her head. "I don't know. But I think it is the right thing to do."

"The right thing for who?" Dylan suddenly asked, her arms crossed. Wakka backed away so Dylan could look Yuna in the eye. "For _you_? Surely there's another option. Marriage isn't just a notch in the wood. It's commitment. Isn't it?"

Yuna looked away; Rikku ran toward her.

"Yunie..." she whimpered to her cousin. As she put her hands on Yuna's pale shoulders, a large crash of thunder erupted. "Quiet!" Rikku shouted at it, then turned back to Yuna. "I wish we could help somehow, some way!"

Yuna gently reached up to hold Rikku's hand.

"It's okay...I'll be fine."

It was quiet for a few moments, then Auron spoke.

"Next, we're going to Macalania Temple," he said. "Yuna can talk with Seymour there. We guardians will wait until they're done, and plan our next move. Understood?"

}{}{}{

No. I didn't _understand_. Why would Yuna even THINK about marrying Seymour...? Bleh...

Well...I shouldn't say that. I _do_ know. She is unselfish. She was then and is now. If she could help others, _her_ life, _her _feelings, didn't matter.

Anyway...I'm digressing.

We soon entered Macalania Woods. It was serene, to say the least, but something about it was so...sad.

But maybe I was the only one to notice that, since Rikku was silently celebrating making it through the Thunder Plains, and everyone else just kept on walking, like they were in a dream.

At one point, I could hear Auron and Tidus having a conversation about Yuna, but I didn't bother to stop and listen. I had the story memorized: Yuna was going to try to "negotiate" with Seymour in exchange for her hand in marriage. Not a good plan if you ask me, but...well...we _are_ talking about Yuna...

"Slowpokes!" Rikku cried when Auron and Tidus finally caught up to the rest of us.

"Sorry!" Tidus said. And then he looked at Yuna...STARED at her. I wanted to punch her, because she stared _back_.

"Yuna, let's go," he added, approaching her. She nodded once, and Rikku enthusiastically pumped her fist in the air, running along the path. At least SHE was back to normal.

My hair had doubled in volume and weight-not a pretty sight. I would have to wait for it to settle out.

I followed Rikku quickly, knowing she wouldn't notice if anything was out of sorts with me. We kept running, fighting fiends, and running. It was a workout, but it was what I needed.

"Hey!" a familiar voice suddenly shouted. I could hear footsteps running toward us, and soon Barthello was in plain sight. He panted as he stopped in front of us, then gained enough breath to explain himself.

"You, have you seen Dona?" he asked.

"Dona? Can't say I have," Tidus replied, shaking his head. Rikku and I exchanged curious glances.

"What's up?" Wakka asked.

"We got separated on the way here," Barthello explained. "Dmn it all! I've got to find her!"

"Calm down," Auron commanded. Barthello did such.

"But, if anything happens to her..."

"Running around in a panic is not going to help," Auron stated in the kindest voice I had EVER heard him use. "Right now, you have to keep cool, and search."

"But-"

"Guard your emotions, then guard your summoner."

Barthello considered this, then stood upright, looking determined.

"You're right," he said.

"Shall we search?" Auron suggested.

"No, I've taken up enough of your time. Thank you, Sir Auron."

Barthello bowed, then ran off. Rikku pulled me along as if to follow him, but I dug my heels into the ground to stop her.

"What's up?" Wakka asked again.

"Oh, I just wanted to wish him good luck," Rikku explained, releasing my arm.

Everyone dismissed in, and we continued along.

"Smooth one," I muttered to Rikku, punching her arm lightly. She shrugged.

"I wasn't _completely _lying," she insisted, a smile tugging at her lips. "Still, I should probably be more careful, huh?"

"Ya _think_?"

She shrugged again. Giving up, I walked on, and she followed closely, quiet in thought.

}{}{}{

"Wait," Auron said, stopping the group at a patch of roots. "It is here...somewhere."

"Vague...but intriguing," Dylan said, tapping her chin. "What are you talking about?"

"Yeah, _what's _here?" Tidus asked.

"Something you should see," Auron replied.

"But, Sir Auron..." Yuna started, looking a little concerned.

"It won't take long," he promised, pulling out his sword.

"I have a bad fee-ling about thiiiis," Dylan said cautiously, creeping up behind Tidus. "Like some-thing's going to-_ATTACK_!" She pushed him suddenly, and he screamed.

"Not funny!" he said, flushing crimson.

"Disagreed!" Rikku said, cackling.

But then everyone jumped when Auron smashed his sword into the roots and crystals in front of him. A couple more times, and an entrance was revealed. They were in.

In complete silence, Auron slung his sword over his shoulder and walked into the area. Yuna, Tidus, Dylan, and Rikku exchanged glances, then followed, and the rest filed behind them.

"Dylan, if you touch me, you're dead to me," Tidus said. Dylan chuckled.

"Sorry, had no idea you were so jumpy, little boy," she laughed, hi-fiving Rikku. Even Yuna laughed.

"Yuna, you too?" he whimpered.

"Well...she's kind of right," Yuna admitted, giggling.

Tidus let out a groan, then gasped. He stood in awe of the beauty that had surrounded him in this place. Dylan and Rikku went off to explore, while Yuna went straight to Auron's side.

"This place..." Tidus murmured, following Yuna. "It's just water, isn't it?"

"This is what spheres are made of," Auron explained. "It absorbs and preserves people's memories."

Dylan trotted over to Auron and was about to ask him to elaborate, when suddenly pyreflies appeared, and something large began to come out of the water.

"What's that?" Wakka asked, running up to them, followed by the others.

"Fiends are also attracted to these places," Auron added.

"Nice afterthought," Dylan muttered, bouncing on her toes. "Sooo, how are we supposed to kill this thing?"

"Good question."

"Just try attacking it! Maybe we can find its weakness!" Rikku called out.

Dylan and Kimahri ran up, trying to manage a physical attack.

"Nothing!" Dylan shouted, backing away as the spherical blob started to morph into a pillar. "Try some magic!"

The blob pounded down on Auron, who grunted in pain a little.

Yuna tried to use white magic spells, but nothing happened. "Lulu!" she cried.

"I've got this," she said, sending down thunder bolts. The blob shook a little.

"Try another!" Dylan cried right before getting ripped up by a water spell. "Hey! Not on ME!"

"That wasn't me! It was this thing..." Lulu gasped. "I've got it! It must absorb all spells except its one weakness! Right now it must be weak to thunder spells-"

Suddenly the blob changed its color for a brief moment, then went back to blue.

"So this is just a guessing game?" Tidus complained. "Man..."

"Just keep going," Auron said calmly.

"Maybe I can steal something to help us!" Rikku said.

"Good luck with that-it's a big-ss _blob_!" Dylan shouted.

The group continued on, unleashing their biggest physical attacks while Lulu continued to relentlessly cast spells on the mysterious blob...

}{}{}{

It seemed like we had been there all day until the blob exploded into pyreflies and slunk back into the water. Were battles always going to be that long? It was all so _weird_. I got smashed by a pillar and survived...what a strange place I was in...

And I knew it was only going to get stranger for me when I saw Jecht's sphere sitting out where the monster had just been.

"Lookit, a sphere!" Rikku cried in joy. "Glad we didn't fight that thing for nothing!"

Tidus nodded and walked over to it, unable to alter his gaze. He picked it up carefully, then brought it back to us, where we huddled around it like it was some tiny baby.

"Whoa, this is old!" Wakka gasped. "Don't know if you can play it back."

"Jecht left it here ten years ago," Auron said. We gasped. "Play it back."

Tidus nodded a little, then fiddled with it until it played out into the air. It was weird. Like a projector that didn't need a screen...the air was a natural screen. I had never seen anything like it.

"What are you taking?" Auron's "ten-years-younger" voice asked angrily. He hadn't changed much. But when the picture came into view, I saw that I was not quite right. Auron looked lively-angry, but lively. Yuna's father also looked very happy.

"Well, you said it was gonna be a long trip," Jecht's voice replied. He was obviously filming, walking backwards and all. "We'll be seeing a lot of neat things, right? So I thought I'd record it all in this. To show to my wife and kid, you know."

"This is no pleasure cruise!" Auron snapped, stopping right in front of the camera. Rikku caught my eye, and we grinned at each other.

"Hey, Braska," Jecht said, ignoring Auron. "Ain't this supposed to be a grand occasion? Where're the cheering fans? The crying women?"

Braska shook his head, amused. "This is it. Too many goodbyes-people think twice about leaving."

"Hmm...if you say so. Well, it better be a lot more colorful when we come back. A parade for Braska, vanquisher of Sin!"

Braska chuckled. He seemed very good-natured...just like Yuna. "We should go. Day will break soon."

The video cut to another scene. Braska was filming now in a snowy place I knew to be the end of Macalania Road. Auron was the first thing we saw, standing next to the inn.

"Auron, could you stand closer to him?" Braska asked kindly. Sighing, Auron nodded and did as he was told. "Good, that should do it." The picture tilted up a bit, showing a sign leading to Lake Macalania.

"What's the matter? Afraid I might bite?" Jecht teased.

"Jecht..." Auron started, irritated as hell.

"Braska! You should take one, too," Jecht suggested, rubbing the back of his huge neck. "It'd make a great gift for little Yuna!"

"I suppose," Braska said, the camera nodding with him.

"Lord Braska..." Auron said, walking forward. "We shouldn't be wasting our time like this!"

"What's the hurry, man?" Jecht said, walking past Auron.

Auron let out a growl, then replied, "Let me tell you what the hurry is!"

"Auron!" Braska said.

And then the picture faded out.

"Very nice," I said, smirking at Rikku, who was still grinning. Auron had NOT changed.

"What's the point?" Tidus asked, irked. "He _wasn't_ on some pleasure cruise."

"I think there's more," Rikku pointed out, her smile fading a bit.

Sure enough, the sphere continued.

"Hey, look! That's where we are now!" I said cheerfully, grinning.

"Wow, would've never have guessed," Wakka said sarcastically. I showed him my fist, and he held up his hands as if to say "I'm innocent." I grinned.

"Aww, the picture's fading out again," Rikku said, pouting.

"No, wait, look," Lulu said. "Keep watching."

"Hey," said Jecht, who was now sitting in front of the camera, lopsided to us. "If you're sitting there, watching this...it means you're stuck in Spira, like me."

"Woot, that's me," I said, and Tidus gave me a hi-five.

Jecht continued, "You might not know when you'll get back home, but you better not be crying! Although, I guess I'd understand. But you know what? There's a time when you have to stop crying and move on. You'll be fine. Remember, you're my son. And... Well, uh... Never mind. I'm no good at these things." Jecht stood up and turned the camera off.

But, just like before, it came back on, still in Macalania.

"Anyways..." Jecht said. "I believe in you. Be good." A long pause, and then, "Goodbye."

I think Auron and I were probably the only ones there who really understood what that "goodbye" meant. Tidus was still oblivious.

"He sounded almost serious, but it was too late," he mumbled, lowering his head.

"He was serious," Auron said quickly. "Jecht had already accepted his fate."

"His fate?"

"Jecht... He... He was always talking about going home, to Zanarkand. That's why he took all those pictures-to show them to you when he returned. But as he journeyed with us and came to understand Spira, and Braska's resolve... It happened gradually, but Jecht changed."

"You can tell on that video," I piped up, but no one bothered to agree, and Auron finished.

"He decided he would join Braska in his fight against Sin."

"So then, he gave up going home?" Tidus asked.

"That was his decision."

And with that, Auron walked away. And one by one, the rest of the group did too, until Tidus was the only one standing there.

"That was a cute video," Rikku giggled.

"I know, right?" I grinned. "Tidus doesn't even get it."

"Get what?"

"That his dad loved him."

"All right!" came Tidus's voice, booming through the quiet murmurs of conversation. "Let's go, guys!"


	7. Chapter 7:  Oui Are Unstoppable!

Chapter 7: Oui are Unstoppable! (Song: youtube - watch?v=kxEcbQKy10Q)

FLASHBACK START

"RRRRRRRAAAAAAAH!"

Emi slung her PS2 controller at her bedroom wall.

"Whoa, Em, careful there. Eating." Dylan jumped a little, putting down her plastic spork.

"Don't care. Hate this game."

"What, Final Fantasy X? Are you kid-ding me?"

Setting her plate of Taco Bell grande nachos off to the side, Dylan sat down next to Emi, who was sulking.

"What the frick were they thinking? Seymour is unbeatable," she grumbled, curling into a ball.

"Here, let me try-"

"NO!" Emi jumped for the controller. "I told you, I'm gonna beat this game without any help this time!"

"Fine, fine. Then don't complain when you lose again."

A fist met Dylan's leg.

"Ow! Punk..." She rubbed the sore spot vigorously. "Just think, oui are unstoppable."

"_We_?"

"No, _oui_ as in Al Bhed."

"Think Al Bhed."

"Yeah."

"_Why_?"

"I dunno. It just sounds cool." And with that, Dylan returned to her food.

FLASHBACK END

"Did it just get colder?" Rikku asked, shivering. Dylan nodded in agreement.

"We're here...Lake Macalania," Lulu said. "It's not too much farther to Macalania Temple, Yuna. Are you ready?"

Yuna nodded in response.

The eight of them kept walking, and soon they were surrounded by walls of ice and snow-covered paths. A large inn sat in the corner of it all, and a big banner nearby read "Lake Macalania." It was serene, beautiful...and yet...a bit terrifying.

"Look," Dylan murmured.

Off in the distance, the Guado Tromell was walking toward them, a big smile on his face.

"Lady Yuna, we've been expecting you," Tromell said. "We were surprised you decided to come so soon. Pleasantly surprised, of course. Lord Seymour sends his apologies for having left without notice." Tromell bowed; Tidus could see the steam every time he breathed. It was COLD.

"It's quite all right," Yuna said. "I have one question, if I may, sir..."

"My lady?"

"I want to keep journeying, even if I marry," she stated. It was the most confident thing Tidus had ever heard come out of her mouth. "Do you think that Maester Seymour would let me?"

"But of course, my lady," Tromell replied. "Lord Seymour wishes nothing else, I'm sure."

Yuna turned to the group, smiling. She nodded once, still confident. It made Tidus want to believe everything would turn out okay.

"Goodbye," Yuna then said, and Tidus then knew NOTHING would be the same. He wanted to say something along the lines of "Stop! You don't even LOVE him! Why do you have to do this?" But he couldn't bring himself to. He wanted...what Yuna wanted.

"Well...we must follow Guado tradition," Tromell said. "I'll have to ask you to wait here a little while longer. I'll send someone to escort you."

Without a goodbye, Tromell turned and began to walk away. Yuna started to do the same, then turned back.

"I..."

"We're all with you. Do as you will," Auron assured her.

"Thank you," she murmured, her confident smile gone. And so she walked away.

"Sorry," Auron said suddenly.

"Hn?" Tidus turned to him.

"That was _your_ line."

Tidus jumped into action; he sprinted forward after Yuna and Tromell.

"Yuna!" he shouted, then let out a piercing whistle. She turned back, smiling.

"Yessir!" she cried, her voice joyful once more.

And he watched her walk away, wrapped up in his thoughts.

"Oh, no!" Rikku shouted suddenly, forcing Tidus into the real world again.

"Al Bhed!" Wakka cried, and the group rushed out to Yuna and Tromell as, sure enough, the Al Bhed raced in on snow skiers.

Tidus stood there for a moment, stunned.

"Hey, you comin' or not?"

Dylan grabbed Tidus's arm and dragged him down to the scene.

"Guess I'm coming," he said, smirking at her.

"Dmn right you are. She's your girlfriend, not mine."

}{}{}{

Reverse psychology.

I had never tried it so often as I had in Spira. It was my only real chance at ever having ANYTHING between Tidus and I.

"Yuna, we got your back," I said, rushing to her side. She nodded, obviously a little confused.

"Stand back," Auron added, standing next to me.

"Thank you!" Tromell gasped, terrified. I would've laughed had I not been so concerned. These guys were no shape-shifting blob. They were real people. How would this end up?

I noticed Tromell trying to drag Yuna away, but she shrugged him off and joined us instead.

"Lady Yuna!" Tromell said.

The eight of us were face to face with just as many Al Bhed, and I was ready, when suddenly...they ran off.

"Rikku!" I heard an unmistakable voice cry out. Brother... "Tuh'd ehdanvana un oui kad drec!" ("Don't interfere or you get this!")

...Have I ever mention how much I loooooove Al Bhed? Ed ec kunkauic...

Anyway, a huge machina rolled up from behind Brother, and I got chills. Man versus machine, much?

"Ouin bnaleuic magic yht aeons yna caymat!" (Your precious magic and aeons are sealed!") he added.

"Oh, no!" Rikku cried again.

"Translation?" Tidus asked.

"He's gonna use an anti-magic field on us!" she exclaimed, dancing about nervously as she always did.

"Kad dras!" ("Get them!") Brother commanded, pointing at us.

"Fabulous," I said, pouting.

"I assume that means 'attack'?" Tidus asked me.

"Not literally, but basically."

"Great."

The large machina rolled down the slope and landed in front of us, making loud noises. I couldn't believe how loud it was! And to think I thought I'd go deaf from listening to my iPod...

"Look, it just shot something in the air," Lulu said, pointing.

"It's called a negator," Rikku explained. "That's what limits our magic and summoning."

"So basically, we should attack that first," I added.

"That's no problem-o!"

Wakka's blitzball came soaring from behind me, knocking the negator to the ground.

"It won't last forever!" I shouted. "Work fast!"

Lu and Yuna nodded and began to attack. But before I could join them, I felt a hand drag me away.

"How do you KNOW this stuff?" Rikku whispered frantically over the noise of the Al Bhed machina.

"I can't tell you now-"

"Yes, you can! Tell me!"

I heaved a huge sigh. "Fine! In my world, this world is a video game! I know the whole plot, the dialogue, and the boss battles!"

Rikku blinked. "Whoa. That's _creepy_!"

"You're telling _me_! Try walking in _my_ shoes!"

"So you know Al Bhed too then?"

"Yeah."

"...'Kay."

Suddenly-not to mention scaring the crap out of me-Rikku dragged me back over to the battle.

"It just keeps reviving itself!" Tidus said, pissed as hell.

"Agh!" Rikku cried. "Hurry and destroy it, you guys!"

"What? What's wrong?" Wakka asked.

"See the little green lights on the side? When they're all lit up, this thing can shoot a beam at us!"

"And?"

"That means we DIE!" I shouted, running up to the machina. The roaring of the engine was deafening, but I continued to attack it with all I had, until suddenly the negator shot out at me, knocking me back a few feet.

"Oof!" I cried, my stomach throbbing.

"Here."

Yuna glowed green, and soon I was glowing, too. The pain disappeared, and I could stand again.

Curative magic...

By the time I was up on my feet again, the negator was gone again.

"Yuna, use an aeon!" I shouted.

"That one you got at Djose temple will do!" Lulu agreed.

"Ah, okay."

}{}{}{

Ixion, the large, thunder-based horse aeon, thundered past the others, letting them rest.

"It's over now!" Rikku shouted cheerfully, hi-fiving Dylan.

"You doin' okay?" Wakka asked Dylan.

"Huh? Yeah, why?"

"Well, you took a nice hit earlier." He grinned; she did the same.

"Yeah, I guess. But it wasn't too bad."

The conversation was interrupted by a huge explosion.

"Agh!" Everyone covered their ears, ducking in cover. Just moments later, it became dead silent, and Dylan suddenly realized she was standing between Wakka and Rikku, which was probably not the best place to be. She quickly trotted over to Lulu.

"You alright?" she asked her.

"Yes. I'm glad it's over now," Lulu replied, a small smile on her face.

Lulu really liked Dylan. She seemed trustworthy, she was hard-working, and she was not annoying like Tidus. Besides, the more females in the group, the better.

"My lady!" Tromell said, walking over to Yuna. She was quiet, so he walked away, and she followed.

"Rikku!" Brother shouted from his watching place. "E femm damm Vydran!" ("I will tell Father!")

Rikku frowned a little. "E ys dra guardian uv Yuna, oui caa?" ("I am the guardian of Yuna, you see?") she cried. "Yuna ec cyva! Fa femm kiynt ran! Cra ec cyva!" ("Yuna is safe! We will guard her! She is safe!")

"Oui tu drec ymuha, cecdan!" ("You do this alone, sister!") Brother shouted before running off.

"Ra'c rynt-raynan, rir?" ("He's hard-headed, huh?") Dylan mumbled. Rikku sighed in response, then turned to the group.

"I told him I was a guardian," she explained, scratching her cheek nervously. "Well, guess I had to, really."

"How come you speak Al Bhed?" Wakka asked her and Dylan. "Why?"

"I studied it. It's fun," Dylan replied, shrugging. She wished she could cover up for Rikku as well. But it was too late.

"Because I'm Al Bhed," Rikku said quietly, lowering her head. "And that...was my brother."

"You knew?" Wakka said, looking at the rest of them. Tidus nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"We knew you'd be upset," Lulu stated.

"This is great. I can't believe I've been traveling with an Al Bhed! A heathen!"

"Hey! She just saved your life!" Dylan shouted, stepping forward, but Lulu held her back.

"You're wrong!" Rikku exclaimed. "We have nothing against Yevon."

"But you Al Bhed use the forbidden machina! You know what that means? Sin was born because people used machina!"

"You got proof? Show me proof!" Rikku shouted, looking pissed.

"It's in Yevon's teachings! Not that you'd know!"

"That's not good enough! Yevon says this, Yevon says that. Can't you think for yourself?"

"Well, then you tell me!" Wakka shouted back, crossing his arms. "Where did Sin come from, huh?"

"I...I don't know!"

"You bad-mouth Yevon and that's all you can come up with?"

"But...that doesn't mean you should do whatever they say without thinking! Nothing will ever change that way!"

"Nothing has to change!" Wakka was beginning to get defensive; everyone could tell.

"You want Sin to keep coming back?" Rikku argued. "There might be a way to stop it, you know!"

"Sin will be gone once we atone for our past mistakes!"

"When? How?"

"If we keep faith in Yevon's teachings it will be gone one day!"

"Why do I even bother?" Rikku wondered out loud, lowering her head.

"Rikku!"

}{}{}{

The sound of Auron's voice scared nearly everyone. It was a pleasant change from the argument preceding it.

"Will this move?" he asked, standing by a snowmobile.

"Yes!" she cried, running toward one. My heart lept. Snowmobiles... Yay!

"We're not using that, are we?" Wakka demanded. "Wait... Sir Auron isn't Al Bhed too, is he?"

"Come on, Wakka..." Tidus said, sounding frustrated.

"What?"

"I mean, getting angry just 'cause you found out Rikku's an Al Bhed... You guys got along fine until now, didn't you?"

"Yes, you did," I jumped in, frowning at Wakka.

"That's different. I mean..."

"Well, I don't claim to know much about Spira," Tidus began. "And I probably know even less about the Al Bhed, but...I know Rikku's a good person. She's just Rikku!"

"When has she ever done anything bad to you, anyway?" I said. "You're taking this so personally!"

"...Lu?" Wakka said, turning to his friend.

"Just think of this as an opportunity to learn more about the Al Bhed," she declared, crossing her arms and smirking.

"Ha!"

Wakka stormed off toward the temple; Tidus began to follow him.

"Let him go," Auron said. "Give him time to think."

Rikku looked up from a snowmobile and said, "I'm sorry."

"You've done nothing to apologize for," Lulu insisted.

"All right! Let's ride!" Tidus cheered, pumping his fist in the air.

"You sure you know how to drive this?" Rikku asked, smirking.

Kimahri walked over to a snowmobile and hopped on, driving off.

"Better than Kimahri does!" Tidus joked. "C'mon, Dylan, let's go."

Ahem? Excuse me? Did Tidus just invite me to ride with him? Hah. Well...what do you know?

"Are you sure I can fit on there? My butt is pre-tty big..." I said. Tidus laughed.

"So is the _seat_. C'mon."

Tidus sat in front, and I got on behind him, my heart pounding. I was praying that he wouldn't ask me any questions for the first minute or so, or I've might've burst out with a response like, "Umm, so okay, this is really awkward because you're absolutely gorgeous and I love you more than you know. Hah."

Luckily, SOMEbody up there was watching out for me at that point and time...

"Hold on tight," he said, placing my arms around his waist.

*Don't tempt me,* I thought, wanting to hug him like a giant plushie.

With a lurch, the snowmobile took off, following Auron, who was leading.

"So, what do you think about that?" Tidus asked me suddenly.

"About what?"

"Rikku and Wakka."

"Ah, I see." I pause a moment, trying to think of how to say my thoughts. "Well...I know Wakka's brother betrayed him for Al Bhed stuff...and I think Wakka has anger centered around that, and he takes it out on all of the Al Bhed people, not on just the bad guys. Also, I think Wakka is a bit...over-religious. He takes it _way_ too seriously. But that's just what I think."

"Good, because I feel exactly the same way," Tidus said, sounding genuinely relieved. "I just wanted to make sure I wasn't the only one feeling that way."

"No, you're definitely not."

"Good."

We were silent for a while after that. It was awkward...at least for me. He probably didn't even notice. But long silences like that bother me anyway, so it wasn't just that situation.

Luckily, he broke it before I went insane.

"So, how different is this world from yours?"

"Incredibly," I replied, looking at the snowy glaciers that whizzed by us. "Although we do have snowmobiles in my world, too. But...really, there's not too much that's similar."

"Like what?"

"Well...the hots are hotter, and the colds are colder. Our religious zealots are a lot more dangerous than yours most of the time-"

"Most of the time?"

"I...can't tell you yet. You'll find out soon."

Tidus grumbled something under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. I just bet I know who you're talking about, that's all," he muttered.

"Anyway, we don't have anybody like the Guado or the Ronso running around."

"What about your friends?"

"My friends?"

"Yeah, you had some, didn't you?"

"HAVE some; yes I do."

"What are they like?" he asked.

"Well, Emi is insane and super perfectionist, but she's an awesome friend and I can tell her anything. And Trisha is really carefree and smart and talented. They're both my best friends. We're together all the time and it's _always_ fun. Y'know, unless we're having serious talks about something."

I was not exaggerating. Emi and Trisha were the best friends I could've ever asked for in my high school years.

"Well, what about all of us?" Tidus said.

"What about you?"

"Are we your best friends now, too?"

"I...don't know."

That was a good question! I didn't know how to answer it at first.

"Well...I guess Rikku and you and maybe Yuna...Wakka and Lulu and Auron are my friends too...but we're not that close...and Kimahri hasn't even talked to me yet... I dunno. I feel like I'm still getting to know you all."

"But you already know all about us," he pointed out.

"That's true."

It was quiet again. I could hardly stand it.

"_We_ could be best friends," Tidus said.

"Yeah, we could," I agreed. "But what about Yuna?"

"She...she's different."

I didn't really know how to interpret that. On the one hand, I was overjoyed. He liked me enough to want to be close to me. That really meant a lot.

But on the other hand, it only confirmed that Tidus and Yuna were going to be together, no matter what I thought about it or how I felt. That was just downright painful.

We finally made it to Macalania within the next minute of the ride. Nobody said a word, but we all gave each other grim looks as we walked toward the temple in dead silence.


	8. Chapter 8:  Hurt

Chapter 8: Hurt (song: youtube - watch?v=3fOGCnJ0Z4o)

FLASHBACK START

Dylan's cell phone tinkled with the tune of "Suteki Da Ne" as she walked into her bedroom.

"Hello?" she said, knowing it was Trisha. But, strangely, there was no response. "Hello?"

"Hey," came a quiet, breathy voice.

"Trisha?" It didn't even sound like her. She sounded distant, far away. "What's up?"

"I...I have to tell you something," Trisha said, her voice wavering.

"Okay."

"Well...you know how I've been having really bad migraines lately? And I kept passing out?"

"Yeah."

"I went to the doctor for a brain scan a few days ago. That's why I didn't go to school."

"Right, right. Did they find anything?"

Dylan's heart pounded harder when Trisha didn't respond again.

"I...have glioblastoma multiforme."

"Which is?"

"A brain tumor."

FLASHBACK END

"Halt!"

Rikku and Tidus screeched to a stop in front of Macalania Temple due to the guard's shout.

"The likes of her are not welcomed in this hallowed place," the guard said, glaring at Rikku.

"She is a guardian," Auron stated.

"An Al Bhed, a guardian? Preposterous!"

"I've decided to be Yuna's guardian now, and that's all I want," Rikku said quietly but firmly.

"And that's all one needs to be a guardian," Auron added, walking past the guard into the temple.

"Very well," the guard said in defeat.

The rest of the group entered the temple in silence, without any disruptions from the security.

"I can't believe he said that," Dylan growled, looking back over her shoulder at the guard.

"Let it go," Lulu said quietly. "It's no use dealing with people like that."

"Ah! There you are!" a voice cried. Shelinda trotted up to Tidus, smiling brightly. "So Lady Yuna is getting married. You shouldn't kid around about these things."

"Yeah, I guess so," Tidus said nervously.

"You're not happy?" Shelinda asked, her voice sad.

"Nah, it's complicated." He ran past Shelinda and looked around. "Say...do you know where Yuna is?"

"I believe...she's gone to the Cloister of Trials with Maester Seymour," she replied. At her answer, the group ran up the stairs to the entrance of the Cloister of Trials. But just as they were about to proceed, a woman came out from one of the rooms, shouting.

"Lord Jyscal!" the woman cried, falling to her knees. "A sphere, in Lady Yuna's belongings..."

"Oh no," Dylan murmured. The party rushed into the room, not bothering to question the woman along the way.

"This may well answer a few questions," Auron declared as Rikku shut the door behind them. He handed the sphere to Tidus, who set it on the floor and turned it on.

"What I am about to tell you is the unclouded truth," Jyscal's voice said, his figure appearing before them. "I swear it on my honor as a Guado. Listen to me very carefully, for I shall tell you the truth about my son, Seymour. His mind is closed even to me, a maester of Yevon. But I can feel the flames of darkness burning in his heart. He is using Yevon, the Guado, and even the summoners. If he is not stopped, he will surely bring destruction and chaos to Spira.

"I will leave this world soon, killed by my own son. But I do not fault him. Because I was not wise enough, he has suffered, and become twisted. I could not protect him and his mother from the world and its cruelty. I will accept death as punishment of my deeds. But whoever is watching this...I implore you to stop Seymour! Stop my son."

With that last desparate command, the sphere ended, and the room was cold in its silence.

"Wonderful," Auron said finally, his sarcasm at its highest.

"Will Yuna be all right?" Rikku asked, concerned.

"Without us, no." Auron hurried out of the room; Wakka slapped his hand to his forehead.

"Where you goin'?" he asked when Kimahri left as well.

"Are you blind? Did you not just watch that sphere?" Dylan snapped before leaving the room as well.

"You saw, didn't you?" Tidus said, a little more kindly. "Seymour's bad news!"

Tidus started to leave, but Wakka shouted, "But he's a maester!"

Tidus turned back. "Fine! Stay here if you want!"

"C'mon, Wakka," Lulu urged. "Let's at least hear him out." She and Tidus left then.

"This can't be happening..." Wakka groaned.

}{}{}{

I could feel all this energy and nervousness built up in me. I was shaking; I did NOT want to fight Seymour. But there we were, standing at the start of the Cloister of Trials.

When Wakka finally arrived with Tidus and Lulu, Auron said, "Kimahri's up ahead. Go."

"Right!" Tidus said. I led him and the others on.

As Wakka walked past Auron, I could just hear Auron say, "We will protect Yuna from anyone. Even a maester."

Wakka made a sound that was a cross between a laugh and crying.

"This can't be happening," he said.

"If he is truly at fault, it must be done," Lulu declared.

And that was that. But it _wasn't_ that.

_I_ was the only one out of all of them who really knew what was ahead, and how difficult it was going to be. Seymour wasn't even the hard part in the game! _His aeon, Anima, was. _

But...I had noticed throughout the past couple days that battles worked differently in person than in the game... Only three at a time could fight in the game, but in real life-because that's what it was, REAL LIFE-everyone fought. Despite this, though, I knew we could totally get wasted.

The next thing I knew, we were all standing in a big room-_the_ room-with Seymour and a couple of guards.

"Seymour!" Tidus shouted, sounding terrifyingly angry. He ran to the front of our group, fury in each step.

"Please be silent," Seymour ordered. "Lady Yuna prays to the fayth." He didn't even bother to look at us.

"_Make me_!"

*Argh, he's so _stupid_!* I thought as Seymour turned to Tidus at last. He stared my friend down, but Tidus held his gaze and glared right back.

Suddenly the doors behind Seymour opened, and Yuna stepped out.

"Yuna!" Tidus cried. She looked startled.

"But why...?" she said, worried.

"We saw Jyscal's sphere."

"You killed him," Auron hissed at Seymour. Yuna hurried down to us, and I could see she was shaking a bit.

"What of it?" Seymour replied, sounding almost amused.

"You're a MURDERER, mister maester!" I snapped. Ooo...what I wouldn't have given to biff him right in his nasty FACE!

"Lady Yuna, surely you knew of these things, did you not?" Yuna nodded slightly, unable to speak. "Well then, why have you come here?"

"I came..." She turned to Seymour. "I came to stop you!"

"I see. You came to punish me, then." He slowly turned to us; my head pounded in time with my heart.

Seymour stepped forward a bit, then held out his hand, as if to give Yuna a choice: join him...or eliminate him. With the slightest hesitation, Yuna stepped backward into our group.

"What a pity," Seymour said. Everyone at once surrounded Yuna, weapons in hand...or me: weapons as hands... "Ah, of course. 'Protect the summoner even at the cost of one's life.' The Code of the Guardian. How admirable."

Seymour lifted his arm, and his own guardians stepped forward. I could feel my throat closing up.

"Well, if you're offering your lives, I will have to take them," Seymour stated.

"Maester Seymour," Yuna said suddenly. "I trust my guardians with my life. But they are also my friends. I will not stand by and watch them be hurt. I will fight you, too!"

"All right!" Tidus cheered.

"Maester Seymour!" Wakka cried.

*Oh come _on_, can we just fight this guy already?* I thought as Seymour ignored Wakka's plea.

"So be it," Seymour said.

"I knew you were bad news the first time we met!" Tidus growled as we all surrounded Seymour.

"Oh, my sincerest apologies," Seymour said with biting sarcasm.

"Maester! We must stop this!" Wakka exclaimed, desparate. When Seymour said nothing, Wakka said once more, "This can't be happening!"

"You may be a maester, but I will still fight!" Yuna cried.

"Your eyes, they burn with resolve...Beautiful."

"You make me SICK!" I screamed, running at his guardians. I knew what to do now...I just hoped everyone would follow my lead...

}{}{}{

After many minutes of fighting, Seymour lifted his arm.

"Feel my pain!" he cried. "Come, Anima!"

"Dyl, what's going on?" Rikku asked.

"He's summoning an aeon..." she replied quietly.

"Whoa!" Tidus cried, backing away as an anchor fell through the floor. Soon Anima had materialized before them. It was ghastly. Wrapped up like a mummy, its sharp teeth shone as bright as its red eyes. Its hands and body were chained together, so it could only move its monsterous head.

"Watch out, you guys; this will not be fun," Dylan warned them. Auron nodded and took the first strike.

"Yuna, the new aeon!" Tidus shouted. She nodded.

"O fayth, give me strength," she murmured, summoning the newest addition to their collection, Shiva. She was a large female spirit, clad in tribal clothing. Her pale blue skin and dark blue hair indicated her power over the blizzard element. She was the most beautiful spirit any of them had ever seen, but her eyes burned with powerful hatred as she looked upon Anima.

The irony was that Anima was also a female fayth...she was, in fact, the fayth of Seymour's mother. But nobody else knew that except for Dylan. And...of course...Seymour.

The others stood off to the side, watching in awe as Shiva struck powerful blow after blow, and Anima did nothing in response.

Suddenly, Anima roared, and Shiva disappeared below the floor. The room glowed, and soon the floor was invisible. Rikku screamed, but the rest were deathly silent as they looked upon the bottom half of Anima, which was even more monsterous than the top. Shiva was there, also, trapped in a red light.

Anima's bottom half roared and broke free of its chains, looking right at Shiva. Its hands glowed a firey red-orange, then suddenly it began to let loose punch after punch to Shiva, faster and faster, until it was just a blur. When its hands became white, so did its mouth, and it released a huge beam of light, engulfing Shiva entirely.

When the floor returned to being opaque, Shiva hit the ground, completely destroyed. Her pyreflies fluttered off, and the rest of the party returned to the fight.

"There can't be too much left to fight, right?" Tidus said. Nobody dared respond.

Anima let out a low roar and glowed a little.

"_AAAH_!"

Dylan clutched at her chest, falling to her knees.

"Dylan!" Tidus cried. She didn't respond; she couldn't possibly. All of the wind had been knocked out of her by an attack she knew well from the game: "Pain." Her muscles clenched up, and she fell completely on the ground, unable to stay concious.

"Dyl!"

Rikku ran to her side as the others proceeded to attack Anima.

"Watch for that attack!" Auron commanded, getting a couple of good hits in before backing off.

"She won't wake up!" Rikku shrieked, holding Dylan in her small arms.

"What do you mean?" Tidus shouted just as Lulu cast a thunder spell on Anima. It roared and exploded into pyreflies.

"That power that defeated Anima...it must be mine!" Seymour shouted.

"Oh shut _up_!" Tidus cried, striking Seymour right in the face. He fell to his knees, his nose bleeding. He was done for.

Yuna ran forward a little, and Seymour looked up at her.

"Yuna...you would pity me now?" he murmured. Her eyes hardened.

Slowly, almost dream-like, Seymour fell back, dead. Yuna kneeled beside him, gently closing his still-open eyes. Though she knew it had to be done, she felt horribly guilty, and she lowered her head in mourning.

"Lord Seymour!"

The doors flew open, and Tromell and a couple other Guado came in. "What happened here?"

"What...what have I done?" Wakka said to himself as Tromell rushed to Seymour's side; Yuna moved for them.

"Wait a minute! It's not our fault at all!" Tidus exclaimed quickly. "Seymour struck first! He's the bad guy!"

Standing, Tromell whimpered, "You did this?"

"Yuna. Send him," Auron commanded.

"No, stop!" Tromell shouted. "Stay away from him, traitors!"

The two other Guado guards dragged Seymour's body away quickly; Yuna stood there, stunned, then fell to her knees.

"Traitors?" she gasped.

"We're finished," Wakka groaned.

"Now hold on just a minute!" Tidus insisted. "Seymour's the bad guy, right? We'll just explain to everyone what happened!"

"It won't be that easy..." Auron said. "Let's get out of here."

"What about Dylan?" Rikku asked.

"I can carry her," Tidus offered. He picked her up gently.

"Well, let's go," Lulu said quietly, and the group fled from the room.


	9. Chapter 9: Under

Chapter 9: Under (Song: youtube - watch?v=T1eefwOxn5s)

FLASHBACK START

"Aw, nuts."

Emi tossed her cellphone into her open bag, then ripped open a new nail clipper package.

"What's goin' on?" Dylan asked.

"Yeah, who was it?" Trisha added, kicking the base of Emi's bed.

"It was Natalie from National Honor Society...we have a meeting tomorrow morning," Emi sighed, beginning to trim her nails.

"Ick, how did that happen?" Trisha stopped kicking the bed a moment to check her own phone for messages.

"I dunno. Our president is an idiot, maybe?" Dylan said, watching over Trisha's shoulder.

"Or maybe today has just SUCKED. I swear, opened my email this morning, 47 new spam messages! How does that happen in twenty hours? And look, look at my shirt!"

Emi held out her light purple shirt for her friends to see; there was a giant salsa stain on it.

"Haha, I saw that earlier," Dylan laughed, sitting back again.

"I didn't even EAT salsa today! Rrrrgh...! Ow!"

"What happened?"

"I just cut below the quick..." Emi sighed, shaking her hand quickly to relieve the pain. "Today _SUCKS_!"

"Well, you know what they say...when you've hit bottom, you've got nowhere to go but up," Dylan pointed out.

"Let's hope this is as 'bottom' as it gets today, then..."

FLASHBACK END

"Ungh..."

"How ya doin'?"

My vision finally came into focus as I looked up at Rikku and Tidus.

"Everything...hurts..." I muttered, embarrassed. They were hovering over me like concerned parents.

"Here." Rikku handed me what I assumed to be a potion, so I took it gladly. But when I drank it...

"Bleh!" I spat the foul-tasting liquid out. "What _is_ this stuff?"

"Oh, oops, I gave you Al Bhed potion...hah," Rikku said, backing away.

"Here, this is the stuff you need," Tidus said, grinning. He was right; this stuff didn't taste nearly as bad, and I felt better immediately.

"Thank you," I said quietly. "How is everyone else?"

"Yunie should be okay. She's breathing fine and all," Rikku said. "How are Lulu and Wakka?"

"Well, Wakka's in shock. Can't blame him, either," Tidus responded. "And Lulu, well, she's just the same as always."

"She's so together," Rikku stated. "All grown up, I guess."

"I guess," Tidus agreed.

"Well, just give me five or six more years." I grinned at Rikku, and she grinned back.

"So, Kimahri, how do we get out of here?" Tidus asked, looking around.

"Hey, don't change the subject!" Rikku exclaimed, socking Tidus in the arm.

"We climb," Kimahri responded, pointing up. That was the first time I ever heard Kimahri speak. His voice was low and growly, just as it had seemed in the game. But there was something about it that was...calm...peaceful. I liked it.

"Kimahri, too!" Rikku stomped her foot.

"Only those who try will become," Kimahri said.

"Huh?"

"I think he means you have to work hard if you want to be like Lulu," Tidus guessed.

"Oh! I will!"

"Kimahri think Rikku should stay Rikku."

"Hey!" Rikku ran right up to Kimahri, ticked. "Are you saying I'll never be like Lulu? _Kimahri_!"

Tidus started laughing, and I couldn't help but join.

"How can you laugh at a time like this!" Wakka shouted, running over.

Yuna groaned a little, then sat up slowly.

"Yuna!" Tidus said. He was like a concerned puppy...a bit too obviously affectionate of his owner.

She was silent for a moment, then began to explain everything.

"I wanted to confront Maester Seymour about his father, Lord Jyscal," she began. "I wanted to convince him to turn himself in to Yevon's judgment."

"In exchange for marriage?" Lulu said, suddenly appearing beside me with Auron.

"Yes, if that's what it took," she replied, standing up. I stood too, and we all walked to where I knew Tidus had started. Yuna continued to talk.

"So, what did Seymour say?" Tidus asked.

"He didn't say anything. Now...now I don't even think it was worth it. I should've told you what I was going to do."

"Enough," Auron suddenly snapped. We all stopped abruptly. "Dwelling in the past is futile."

"Hey!" Rikku cried, turning to Auron. "You don't have to say it like that!"

"You want to waste time listening to her regrets?"

"You don't have to say it like that," Rikku repeated, quieter this time. She turned back around.

"She's a human being, isn't she?" I added. "She's allowed to have feelings, and she's definitely allowed to express them, _especially with us_!"

"Our immediate concern is Yuna's pilgrimage," Auron insisted, ignoring me and Rikku. "Are you willing to go on?"

"Yes," Yuna answered quickly. "But then, do you think Yevon will allow it?"

"The fayth are the ones who give power to the summoners. Not the temples or the teachings. If the temples try to stop us...then we will defy Yevon if we must."

"Whoa!" Tidus cried.

"I can't believe you said that!" Rikku added.

"_I_ can," I said, laughing a little.

"Sir Auron!" Lulu said, stepping forward. That was the least composed I'd ever heard her so far.

"Count me out," Wakka said, crossing his arms. "We have to atone, to make up for the sins we have committed. Of course...it's not like I ever liked Maester Seymour, ya? No way I'll ever forgive him for killing Lord Jyscal...and for trying to do us all in too, you know?"

I wanted to point out that holding grudges is a sin, too, but I decided it was best just to let Wakka continue his rant.

"But still, the bunch of us going against Yevon? No way!"

"But still, we have transgressed and must face our punishment," Lulu said calmly.

"We must go to Bevelle," Yuna said quickly, stepping forward. "We must speak with Maester Mika and explained why this has happened. There is no other way, I think."

"I agree," Wakka said. Lulu also nodded.

"Sir Auron..."

"So it is decided," he said, nodding once.

"Will you come with us?" Yuna asked.

"I am the troublemaker, after all."

"Yeah, that's right!" Tidus exclaimed, smiling brightly. "You can always count on Auron to complicate things!"

"Yeah! Kimahri roars, and Auron runs off, and..." Rikku said, her emerald eyes wide with amusement.

"I never asked you to follow me," Auron pointed out.

"Hey, but that's what friends are for," Tidus said, still grinning. "Right?"

"Yep!" Rikku agreed.

"They're also good for punching bags," I added, elbowing Tidus in the gut.

"Ow!" But he laughed anyway.

"Man... How can you all act like nothing is wrong?" Wakka wondered out loud. "Must got nerves of steel or something."

"Yeah, and your steel body part is your stomach," I joked. He shot me a dirty look.

"You're too edgy," Lulu scolded. "Listen to the hymn and calm down."

}{}{}{

"Is that coming from the temple?" Tidus asked Yuna as they stood together later. He was talking about the continuous hymn floating through the air.

"Yes, it is Yevon's gift," Yuna replied, bowing. "It soothes the hearts of the faithful." She walked away, and Tidus began to follow her, but he instead saw Wakka and walked over to him.

"Say, you feel something weird in the air?" Wakka asked him. "Some kind of bad vibes or something."

"Yeah, kind of," Tidus replied.

"I thought so."

Wakka became silent, so Tidus gave up on that and approached Lulu, Rikku, and Dylan.

"Friends, huh? First time a non-Al Bhed called me that," Rikku was saying to Dylan and Lulu.

"Who is that singing?" Tidus asked them.

"The fayth," Lulu replied, and Dylan nodded.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" She closed her eyes. Tidus nodded, then jumped a little.

"The fayth? What? It can sing?" he stammered.

"Of course it can. Don't be a fool," Lulu said.

"Now now, isn't he the one who deals with Sin's toxins all the time?" Dylan joked. Lulu smirked.

"Sometimes I wonder if that is all he deals with..."

Tidus, steamed, stormed off. Auron found him next.

"Jecht used to sing this song..." he told Tidus.

"Yeah, over and over," Tidus said. He already knew this; what was Auron getting at? He laughed to himself. "But not this good, that's for sure."

"Another trait you share," Auron declared.

"What, you were listening?" Tidus gasped, thinking back to once where he was sitting by himself at home, humming the song. "Eesh... Can't I get a little privacy?"

"Your singing reminded me of Spira," Auron admitted.

"Oh, right. You're not originally from Zanarkand, are you? ...You homesick?"

"Maybe."

"Say, how'd you get to Zanarkand anyway?" Tidus asked. It was something he always wondered in the back of his mind, but always forgot to ask. "Sin?" When Auron didn't answer, Tidus said, "Uh-huh, I thought so."

To Tidus, this just confirmed that Sin was the sole link between Zanarkand and Spira. And that meant, when Sin died, Tidus was permanently stuck in Spira. But he couldn't complain too much now; at least he had friends.

Suddenly it grew eerily quiet.

"The singing stopped," Lulu said, alarmed.

Something crashed off in the distance with a loud "boom."

"There's something here!" Wakka shouted.

"The ground!" Auron exclaimed.

"Guys, look!" Dylan cried, pointing up.

There, right before their eyes, was Sin.

"Sin!" Yuna cried.

"The toxin! Watch out!" Lulu warned them.

Everything around Tidus blurred, and soon pyreflies surrounded him. He understood now.

Sin really was Jecht; this encounter only confirmed it.

"The song... You were listening, too!" he exclaimed, falling down. "What is it this time?"

His vision went black at first, then white, then to an image of a brilliantly lit city.

"Zanarkand!" he said. "You homesick, too?"

As if to answer that question, blitzballs on the deck of a ship appeared.

"That's not your world anymore. You're Sin now."

Tidus' vision whited out again, then switched to the picture of a little boy. It was himself.

"Hey. I'm older now, you know?"

Then Tidus finally saw an image of his old man. Jecht clenched his fist, but there was no sound. Still, Tidus could understand.

"I know." Tidus felt sad, the saddest he'd felt in a while. "You want this to end." He paused. "I'll find a way. Promise."

}{}{}{

"Hellooooooo!" I shouted for at least the twentieth time.

"HE-LLOOOO?"

It was about time someone responded! I had been wandering around for at least an hour, completely lost in the Bikanel Desert. The place was SPRAWLING.

"WHO IS IT?" I screamed.

"DYLAN?"

"RIKKU?"

We kept shouting each other's names over and over again, running toward the sound of the other's voice. I was trying hard not to laugh, and I could tell she was doing the same. So when we finally found each other, we both doubled over in hysterics, grateful to have actually found company.

"Yay! I found you!" Rikku exclaimed, hugging me tightly.

"Yay! _I_ found _you_!" I repeated. "Where is everyone else?" I then asked.

"I don't know, but look over there! _Shelter_!"

Rikku pointed to an abandoned piece of machina. We ran to it, thankful to get out of the sun.

It wasn't too long before we saw people out in the distance walking toward us.

"Hey, look, it's them!" I cried. I jumped up, only to whack my head on the machina. "Ow..." I hate being tall...

Luckily, the others ran out to us.

"Oh! Where's Yunie?" Rikku asked, getting up a little more skillfully than me. I followed her, making sure to watch my head this time.

"Gone," Tidus replied.

"Gone... Some guardian I am," Lulu murmured.

"Umm... There's something I wanna tell you, but promise not to say anything," Rikku said, putting a hand on her hip. She glanced at Wakka, who was giving her a super-mean look. "No glaring either!" She paused before continuing. "I know where we are. We're on Bikanel Island. There's a place us Al Bhed call Home near here. Yunie's there, I'm sure of it! Other Al Bhed must've come and rescued her!"

"Rescued! You mean kidnapped?" Wakka snapped.

"Ooooh! Don't start that again!" I said, stomping my foot. Sand flew up in the air, and everyone coughed.

"What does it matter as long as she's safe?" Tidus pointed out, glaring at Wakka.

"That's right!" Rikku agreed. "Anyway, I will take you there if you promise...that you won't tell anyone about it. Especially not Yevonites, okay? You know they don't like us Al Bhed. Who knows what they'll do if they knew?"

"Give me a break," Wakka said. "What are you accusing Yevon of this time?"

"Yevon did something really bad to us before," Rikku murmured.

"Well, you Al Bhed must've deserved it."

Tidus growled. "Can't you guys...talk about this later?" he shouted at Wakka.

"Just promise you won't tell anyone about this island," Rikku continued. "Promise?"

"Wakka, come on!" Tidus added at the skeptical look Wakka gave her.

"All right, I promise! Lead the way," Wakka finally agreed.

"You got it!"


	10. Chapter 10: Welcome Home

Chapter 10: Welcome Home (Song: youtube - watch?v=pJwMD9RoVLU)

FLASHBACK START

"Finally..." Dylan murmured, flopping on her bed. "What a day..."

Her brown eyes searched her room aimlessly. It seemed unfamiliar after a week down south in Georgia.

Not that the trip wasn't fun or anything. Emi's grandparents were excellent hosts, and the weather was near perfect every day: rain.

But after being away from home for so long, and especially after a 12 hour car ride, her room was heaven. And so was the normal room temperature. And so was the fact that her acceptance letter for IU came while she was gone. Yeah.

But her room beat it all. There was no place like home at that moment.

FLASHBACK END

"Aaaaaaa!" Rikku screamed, holding her head in her hands.

The group had been wandering the desert for hours. Supposedly Rikku knew where she was going, but that's not what it seemed like to the rest of them. Or maybe she really knew and was second guessing herself? It didn't matter. They had made it to Home, but something was very wrong.

"Rikku!" Tidus cried as the rest of the group ran up to her. They all ran on to the Al Bhed town.

It was amazing built and absolutely stunning...except for the fact that it was surrounded by fiends, and things were on fire, and people were dying left and right.

"What's going on?" Dylan cried. "Did they find Yuna?"

"What? Yuna's down there?" Wakka yelped.

"Of all the places..." Lulu murmured. "Let's go!"

Cries of "Ajanouha ithan!" ("everyone under!") rang through the air as they continued further down.

Within the city, fiends ran amock. Some Al Bhed were out with guns, shooting them down. Others weren't so fortunate.

"Where's Yuna?" Wakka demanded when they were well inside.

"Keyakku!" Rikku cried suddenly, running to a man's side. He had been mortally wounded. "Who? Who's attacking us? Fru tet drec du oui?" ("Who did this to you?")

"Yevon...Guado..." were Keyakku's last words before he passed on.

"Keyakku? Keyakku!" Rikku shouted.

"A war?" Lulu said, shocked. "Between Yevon and the Al Bhed?"

"Dryd ec fnuhk! (That is wrong!)" a voice cried out. A tall, older Al Bhed man stepped forward. "Guado ku vun dra summoner. (Guado go for the summoner.)"

"Vydran...(Father)" Rikku murmured, standing up. Cid said nothing, but instead walked over to Keyakku. He checked for signs of life, any sign, but there were none. Rikku's frown grew as Cid stood up at last. She knew this was only the beginning.

"You Rikku's friends? Well, just don't stand there, come on!" he barked. "Let's go kick those Guado out of our Home!"

Everyone willingly followed him except for Dylan, Tidus, and Rikku.

"Who...?" Tidus said.

"Cid," Dylan replied.

"Leader of the Al Bhed..." Rikku added. "...He's my dad."

"Let's go," Tidus suggested.

"Yeah. We have to save Yunie."

"Not only Yuna. Right?" Tidus looked at Dylan for support, and she nodded quickly. The three of them...they maintained such a great support system for each other. If only it could've lasted longer.

Rikku's face brightened considerably as she nodded. "Right!"

}{}{}{

I don't know how many times we called Yuna's name that afternoon. Enough to last a lifetime, maybe.

Everyone was so worried. It was ridiculous...hectic...not to mention burning hot running through those corridors.

"Drec pedac! (This bites!)" suddenly rang out through the loudspeaker.

"That's Cid," I said loudly. Everyone stopped shouting for a second.

"Rikku! Oui nayt sa? Oui ku ihtan, duu! E ys majamehk Home! Yht dra fiend fedr ed! (Rikku! You read me? You go under, too! I am leveling Home! And the fiend with it!)"

"Oh, no!" Rikku whimpered.

"What'd he say!" Wakka shouted.

"We have to get underground!" Rikku shouted back.

"Where's Yuna?" Auron asked, stepping forward.

"The Summoners' Sanctum! This way!" she replied, running on ahead.

I felt really bad at this point. It wasn't fair at all that Rikku had to endure this. Not just Rikku; that entire race of people. The racism was bad here too, worse than I thought. It was the first time I was really starting to miss home.

"Gah!" I cried as more fiends jumped in front of us.

"Move," Tidus ordered me quietly. I blinked; he sounded like Auron.

Swiftly, he took out the large beast with two swings.

"This is wasting our time," I said even more quietly. He nodded. "Don't worry too much," I added.

"Yeah right."

I lowered my head, frowning, but I continued on, following Rikku and the others. He was absolutely going to _hate_ us all soooo much in a few minutes.

Soon we were in what looked like a boiler room. I could never figure it out; it was too dark, and everything was so frantic. This was the first time we'd actually stopped to catch our breath.

"This place done for," Wakka murmured, crossing his arms.

"You're right," Rikku mumbled, staring at the ground. "You're right, Wakka. We Al Bhed, we...we weren't always like this. Sin destroyed the island where we all used to live. After that, we were scattered to every corner of Spira. But then, my dad brought the Al Bhed together again." Her gaze lifted some. "If we few put our minds to it and worked together, then we could make a new home. Everyone worked hard, we had our Home back again..." She shook her head slowly, her eyes wandering back to the floor. "But now... Why did things have to turn out this way?"

"Rikku..." Wakka said. Everyone looked shocked, but she didn't move at first. Then suddenly she reached out to Wakka and placed her head against his chest. I could tell she was crying. "Dmn those Guado! What are they thinking?"

"Everything happens for a reason," I said as two huge fiends roared and galloped toward us.

"But why them?" Lulu asked as we started to fight.

"I don't know," I replied.

"Yes you do!" Rikku suddenly cried out, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Rikku, what are you saying?" Wakka asked, looking back and forth between us.

"You know why they hate us, don't you? You know everything else!"

"I..."

It was now completely unavoidable. Everyone had to know.

"I...fine. I do know everything else. I know exactly how everyone in this group is going to end up at the end of Yuna's pilgrimage," I admitted, shaking.

"_How_?" Wakka stammered, gaping.

"Because in my world, _this_ world is fictional, and a lot of people know the story. Not just me."

"Do you know where Yuna is?" Lulu asked me.

"Yeah."

"Well?"

"I can't tell you." I could feel Auron's piercing gaze resting on me, but I kept on. "I can't just interfere with this story. I have to let the pieces fall where they may. I don't think I'm here for any reason other than to protect everyone." I lowered my head. "I don't even _know_ why I'm here. I just am."

"Well-"

Everyone turned and looked at Tidus, including me.

"...If you're here to protect us, shouldn't you be helping me fight these things?" he said with a grin.

"Ah, yeah," I said, grinning back. That was all I needed for now. I knew later I'd be lucky to get the time of day from him.

}{}{}{

"Rikku, what is the Summoners' Sanctum?" Lulu asked as the party ran down more stairs.

"The Summoners' Sanctum is where we keep the summoners. We keep them safe there," Rikku answered, not daring to make eye contact with anyone.

"You kidnapped them," Wakka concluded. However, he didn't sound angry. Just tired.

"I know it's against the teachings and all that..." Rikku said, nodding and turning around at last.

"I get why you did it, but..."

"Well, I sure don't get it, Wakka," Tidus interrupted, walking down the rest of the stairs, up to Rikku. "They might get hurt on their pilgrimage so you kidnap them? I mean, if the summoners don't do their job, then who will beat Sin? You want to protect them, I know. But guardians are there for that. If guardians do their job well, summoners will be safe! Right? Right!"

Everything suddenly was still. No shouting over the loudspeaker, no roaring fiends, no explosions, no gunshots. Nothing.

"It's quiet," Kimahri said. "Kimahri goes now."

Tidus watched as the rest of his friends went down to the Sanctum except for Rikku. He stared at her, angry. She simply stared back, and he could see there was something he was missing. Something.

Dylan probably knew what it was, seeing as she looked back once at Tidus and Rikku, then hurried after Auron and Lulu. Rikku soon followed, and Tidus eventually had to as well.

"Yuna, please be here!" Rikku cried, opening the doors. She gasped, and soon everyone could see why.

The Summoners' Sanctum, to be blunt, was a disaster zone. The Guado had obviously gotten there, too.

"Yuna!" Kimahri roared through the ash-coated air.

Rikku ran forward, took one good look around, and collapsed to her knees in front of a dead Al Bhed soldier.

"She's not here," stated a familiar voice. The party turned to see Dona walking toward them. Barthello was not with her. "Hello again," she added, very quietly. Isaaru walked up behind her, also mellow. "Wait there until we have performed the sending."

"They died...protecting us," Isaaru murmured. "It's not much, but the least we can do is give them a proper sending."

And so the two summoners turned and went on to send the fallen soldiers. Everyone was stone-cold quiet, until, not to anyone's surprise, Pacce ran up.

"Hey, what's 'sacrificed'?" he asked Tidus, bouncing on his toes. "The Al Bhed said summoners were being 'sacrificed.' That summoners shouldn't have to do a pilgrimage..."

"Why couldn't they trust guardians to protect the summoners? The Al Bhed had no right stopping their pilgrimage!" Tidus answered, an edge of anger in his voice.

"The pilgrimages have to stop!" Rikku cried suddenly, her eyes squeezed shut, her face toward the floor. "If they don't, and they get to Zanarkand... They might defeat Sin. Yunie could...but then she..." Rikku's head popped up. "Yunie will die, you know?"

Tidus felt every single cell in his body go on the fritz. Die... Yuna could die?

"You know, don't you? Summoners journey to get the Final Aeon," Rikku continued. "Yuna told you, didn't she? With the Final Aeon, she can beat Sin. But then...but then... If she calls it, the Final Aeon's going to kill her! Even if she defeats Sin, it will kill Yunie too, you know!"

With that last cry, Rikku dropped to her knees, tears in her eyes. She was out of breath just from talking; her heart was pounding in her ears.

"Was I the only one who didn't know?" Tidus whispered. He paused for a moment, then bent down to Rikku and grabbed her shoulders roughly. She flinched, as did Dylan.

"Tell me why! Why were you hiding it?" he shouted at her. "Why didn't I know?"

"We weren't hiding it..." Wakka said quietly.

"It was just...too hard to say, " Lulu finished.

"Sorry," Dylan added, her voice nearly inaudible.

Tidus let out a shout; he sounded hysterical. He fell to his hands and knees, cringing.

"Lulu! How could you?" he cried, pounding his fist on the ground. "How could you? Isn't she like a sister to you? I thought you were family! Why don't you do something, Wakka?" Tidus sat up and stared Wakka right in the eye. Wakka didn't move.

"Don't you think we tried to stop her?" Lulu cried. "She follows...her heart."

"Yuna, she knew what she was doing when she chose to become a summoner," Wakka agreed, closing his eyes. "To face Sin, ya? Yuna knew!"

"But Wakka, that's just totally wrong!" Rikku argued, standing up. "Summoners shouldn't have to sacrifice themselves...just so the rest of Spira can be happy, right?"

Before anyone could reply, a large, ape-like fiend materialized before them. Kimahri ran to fight it, the rest just simply stared, overwhelmed.

"But that is our choice..."

Isaaru walked toward them, Dona following him.

"We all live in fear of Sin," Dona added. "You know that."

"A world without Sin... That is the dream of all Yevon's children." As Isaaru spoke, aeons came down from the sky, standing around them. "And we will use that power, even if it means our lives!"

It was silent...except for Tidus. Clenching his teeth, he growled and cried out, over and over.

Suddenly he ran toward Valefor and began punching the aeon in its stomach.

"And I've been telling Yuna... Let's go to Zanarkand together! Let's beat Sin!" he shouted. "I told her all the things we could...we could... And all along, the whole time, I didn't know anything!" He helplessly fell to his knees. "But Yuna, she'd...just smile."

}{}{}{

My throat was so completely constricted by the time Tidus was done shouting, I thought I might never speak again. It was...overwhelming. I've never felt so bad in my whole life.

"I can't let her die!" Tidus said at last, finally standing up. "I'll find her!"

And so we ran on. I knew what was coming...Cid's airship...Bevelle...Via Purifico...and then...

"..."

Rikku and I made eye contact only once; she frowned deeply. This was the last time we'd ever set foot in this place again.

The airship wasn't too far away from where we were, and soon we were all on board, out of breath, but quiet. Nobody wanted to say anything at that point, I think...

"Hu desa!" Cid shouted when he ran into the control room. "Ku, ku, ku! (No time! Go, go, go!)"

"Three minutes mavd! (Three minutes left!)" Brother whimpered.

"Rinno, rinno! Oui ryja one minute! (Hurry, hurry! You have one minute!)" Cid shouted.

Suddenly Tidus ran forward. "Where's Yuna?" he said angrily. Cid didn't even bother to reply, not even look at him.

"Ajanouha uh puynt? (Everyone on board?)" he asked us.

"Ajanouha ymeja! (Everyone alive!)" an Al Bhed crew member answered for us. Well...maybe he wasn't even talking to us...

"I said, where is she?" Tidus screamed, grabbing hold of Cid's uniform from behind. He turned him around but kept a firm grip on him as he continued to shout. "Answer me! Answer me, dmn you!"

"What'll you do when you find her, eh?" Cid finally said. At this point he was hanging a few inches above the ground in Tidus' grasp.

"I didn't know anything about what a summoner is supposed to do," Tidus admitted, practically dropping Cid back onto his feet. "And I told her all those things without even knowing. I've got to tell her! I've got to tell her I'm sorry!"

"That's it? You're gonna tell her you're sorry?" Cid's voice rose with anger with each word. "And then you just drag her to Zanarkand and make her fight Sin, huh? You're all the same - let the summoner die so we can live in peace!"

Completely unexpectedly, Cid grabbed Tidus and flipped him over his shoulder. He fell to the ground, stunned.

"No!" Tidus insisted, standing back up. "I'm not gonna let Yuna die!"

"Hah! Words! Show me action!"

"I'm telling you, she won't die!"

It was quiet for a moment, then Cid finally spoke.

"Boy, don't forget those words, 'cause if you do...I'm gonna make you regret it."

"I won't." Tidus nodded as Cid walked over to what looked like a special kind of map. "So you know where she is?"

"'Course not," Cid snapped, back to himself. "That's why we're gonna look! Using this airship!"

"A-Airship?" Wakka gasped.

Right on cue, the ship began to rumble. It was a bit...terrifying.

"Vydran! Nayto du ku! (Father! Ready to go!)" Brother cried.

"Oaaryy! Y vmekrd 1000 years ujantia! (Yeehaa! A flight 1000 years overdue!)" Cid laughed, walking toward Brother.

"Fruy! Ed sujac! (Whoa! It moves!)" Brother said in disbelief as the ship began to start up and slowly lift out of its cove.

"Necg pek, feh pek! (Risk big, win big!)" Cid said in reply.

The whole ship lurched, and I could feel it turn around, away from Home, and take off into the desert air.

"Fruy! Ed vmeac! (Whoa! It flies!)" Brother gasped, still amazed. I was, too, that a 1000 year old ship could still work. If only cars worked that well!

"Haqd, fa ica dryd! (Next, we use that!)" Cid commanded, gesturing to something on Brother's control pad. Brother lowered his head sadly.

"Frydajan oui cyo, (Whatever you say,)" he murmured, sighing.

Suddenly, he began to sing, and Cid and the others joined him. It was the Hymn of the Fayth, and despite the lack of vocal quality, it was absolutely one of the saddest things I've ever heard in my life.

"What's goin' on?" Wakka asked.

Rikku responded quietly, "We're...we're going to blow up our Home."

"How?" Lulu asked, shocked.

"With one of the forbidden machina!" Cid replied. "Nayto? Vena! (Ready? Fire!)"

I watched out the window with the others as red homing missiles flew out of the sides of the airship and headed toward Home. The first one to hit wasn't much, but they accumulated very quickly, and soon all we could see was a mass of red-orange fire where Home once was.

Suddenly, what looked like it could've been a nuclear explosion boomed through the air, and the shockwaves were approaching us quickly. At one point, the ship fell behind, and we were engulfed in a firey-red abyss, but it pulled through just in time, barely escaping what would've been our inevitable doom.

"Gah-hah-hah-hah! Nadinh du cyht! (Return to sand!) " Cid hollered, laughing. Brother, on the other hand, was sobbing loudly. Cid approached him. "Hu haat vun daync! Fryd ec kuut ypuid machina, ec drao lyh pa piemd yhaf, oui caa? (No need for tears! What is good about machina, is they can be build anew, you see?) "

Rikku didn't look as upset as Brother, but her face was stony and pale, and she was quieter than usual.

"Hey, look," Wakka said to her. "Don't get so down. Boom!" He laughed idiotically. "Like happy festival fireworks, ya?" Rikku turned to him quickly, her face scrunched in anger.

"You can cram your happy festival, you big meanie!" she snapped, storming off.

"Good one, Wakka," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Oh yeah? ...Yeah...I probably shouldn't have said that..."

I couldn't help but laugh as he trudged away, once again outdone by Rikku.

Tidus, Cid, and Lulu were having some discussion about the sphere oscillo-finder, Rikku was definitely not in the mood to talk, and who knew where the others were, so I had no choice but to hang out somewhere I knew Tidus would find me.

He wasn't the only one who needed to apologize.


	11. Chapter 11: Hitotsu ni Nareru no Nara

Chapter 11: Hitotsu ni Nareru no Nara... (Song: youtube - watch?v=5S7KptLn3Io - BEWARE! The video has spoilers! It's just for the song, anyway ;D)

FLASHBACK START

"So...you guys ready for the spring talent show!" Trisha said, bubbling over with excitement. Dylan and Emi exchanged glances.

"Umm..."

"Maybe," Dylan said, taking a loud slurp of her coke.

"What do you mean by that?" Trisha asked.

"Well..." Emi started, looking at Dylan again. "Truth is, it was boring for us because we really didn't do anything. I mean, we did stuff, but it wasn't fairly balanced. I think if we do it again, all three of us should be equally important."

Trisha nodded.

"Sorry. I didn't mean for it to seem that way," she apologized. "So what song can we do?"

"Can I rap?" Dylan asked, chewing on her straw.

"Can I choreograph it?" Emi added.

"Oh-kay, that doesn't help me." Trisha grabbed an extra napkin from their stack and dipped her finger in ketchup.

"Sick," Dylan burped. They all laughed.

"No sh!t," Emi burped back.

"Shut up!" Trisha added.

They snickered in hysterics, pounding the table. The rest of the McDonald's customers glared.

"But seriously, what can we do where we work as one?"

Emi suddenly laughed.

"Why is that funny?" Dylan asked. "Or are you still laughing from earlier?"

"No, think about what you just said. You answered your own question."

"...Oh, one... _Oh_!"

FLASHBACK END

"Papi it's like dis, you twist my head like la di da di tariaria so ki ga tsukena," Dylan rapped to herself, slapping her knees together on beat. "Nanda kanda de atama wa uwafuwa sora e touhikou. Anata ga hoshikute dakishimete itai yo kowareru kurai. It don't take much to please me, so-hey!"

She jumped to her feet as Tidus walked by. He stopped for a moment to glare at her, then began to walk away.

"Wait," she gasped. He stopped again, his back facing her. Her stomach was in knots; she was trying to keep cool. "Please don't be mad at me."

"I'm not," he lied.

"Don't lie," she added.

Tidus, giving up, sighed and turned around. She took a few cautious steps toward him.

"Please don't be mad at me," she repeated. "It's not like I didn't _want_ to tell you about Yuna. But...I couldn't. Things have to stay the same."

He sighed again.

"Alright, I guess I'm not really mad," he admitted. "I guess I'm just frustrated with myself more than anything. I feel like...I let her down, you know?"

"I don't think so. I think she really appreciated your ignorance. I think it took a lot of her stress away when she needed it most." Dylan shrugged. "But I don't know for sure."

"Are you lying again?" Tidus asked. She shook her head.

"I really don't know that. I just think that because of what I've observed and from other things I know." Tidus nodded, then frowned.

"But you're still hiding things from me, aren't you?"

"Yes," she admitted, frowning as well. "Please don't be mad."

"...Okay. I'll try not to be."

To her utter shock, Tidus pulled her into a hug.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"I am, too," she said, hugging him back.

"I know you're trying hard not to mess things up. But I just wonder, if you're not here to mess things up, why are you even here?"

"I ...don't know," she said quietly. He released her to look at her, right in the eyes.

Despite her tomboyish attitude and sometimes childish nature, she was very pretty. She just seemed...warm.

"C'mon, let's go talk to Cid. They might've found something by now."

}{}{}{

I was still in a slight daze when Tidus and I reached the bridge. Having to stare into his eyes like that was a bit spellbinding...

"After rescuing Yuna, then what?" Auron said to Cid. Tidus and I slowly entered the room, but we were unnoticed anyway due to the heated debate. "You want to keep her safe, correct? Would you seek to stop her pilgrimage?"

"Of course!" Cid cried. "If she continues this fool pilgrimage, she will die! Sure as if you killed her yourself. No hare-brained law or teaching can send my little niece to her death! When I save her, I'll make her give up being a summoner quicker than a desert melts ice!"

"Even against her will?"

"Better than a dog's death!" Cid began to walk over to Brother. "And I'll take down anyone who don't agree!"

"You are the captain," Auron said.

"That usually means Auron has a backup plan," Tidus mouthed to me. I nodded in agreement.

"Good! Then it's settled!" Cid stopped his trail to Brother to look at the sphere-thingy again, so I went over to Lulu and Wakka while Tidus wandered off.

"Have they been like this the whole time?" I asked.

"No," Lulu started.

"At first it was just stone-cold silence, ya?" Wakka replied, shuddering a bit.

"Vydran! Fa vuiht Yuna! (Father! We found Yuna!)" Brother suddenly shouted.

"Frana! (Where!)" Cid cried, spinning around.

"E femm cruf oui! (I will show you!)"

"Yuna?" Tidus gasped.

"Oh, sick," I said as an image of Seymour and Yuna appeared. She was in the sluttiest, ugliest wedding dress I'd ever seen, and it probably wasn't her choice of gown, judging by the husband-to-be.

"Where was that!" Tidus asked.

"The Palace of St. Bevelle," Lulu answered. "Heart of Yevon."

"Gramps, let's move!" Tidus called out to Cid. Gramps? Why were all Cid's called "gramps"?

"Easy, kiddo. Bevelle's defenses are top-notch," Cid warned.

"What's the matter, gramps? You scared? Yuna's there, so we go and get her! And that's all!" Tidus grinned at Cid, who chuckled.

"You got guts. Cad luinca du Bevelle! Vimm cbaat yrayt! (Set course to Bevelle! Full speed ahead!)"

"Nukan! (Roger!)" Brother chirped obediently. I couldn't even imagine working for my dad...that seemed awkward.

The ship lurched forward with such force that Tidus was knocked off his feet and onto the floor back by Cid. Everyone just stumbled around a little.

"It'll take a while to get to Bevelle," Cid stated, kneeling by Tidus. "Meanwhile..."

"We prepare for battle!" Tidus exclaimed, jumping to his feet. He started to run off, but the ship rumbled and lurched again, not in the same way as before.

Suddenly Rin ran in.

"We're being attacked from within," he explained. "Some of the Guado that attacked Home must have snuck on board."

"You're awfully calm about it!" Cid shouted, running around to see Rin.

"I am calm about most things," Rin said, shrugging.

"Fiends! There's nothing to do but-"

"But destroy the ship and all go down together!" Rikku interjected in a perfect impersonation of her father.

"I give that a nine," I joked.

"Ehh, eight-point-five," Tidus added. We hi-fived. Although...I did feel bad, since Cid looked genuinely insulted.

"You gotta learn a little restraint, Pops," Rikku explained after seeing her father's confused look. "If you crash the ship, we can't go rescue Yunie! Leave the fiends to us professionals!" She walked over to us as she spook and struck a heroic pose.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Tidus agreed, pumping his fist in the air.

"Iiiiit's biff time!" I cheered. Hah. I hadn't said that since I'd been in Spira. It was always something I used to say...

"Thanks," Rikku said, grinning at us.

"Rikku, you've made some very good friends, I think," Rin added, walking toward us. "Good luck."

}{}{}{

"Huh, now there's a rare sight," Auron said as the group rushed past the cabin's windows. Everyone stopped to get a good look at the monster flying beside them.

"Whoa, that's huge!" Tidus exclaimed, staring in wonder.

"What is that?" Rikku asked.

"The guardian wyrm, Evrae," Lulu responded. "The great sacred beast-protector of Bevelle!"

"Lulu, you're just a goldmine of information lately, aren't you?" Dylan teased. Lulu smiled.

"The red carpet has teeth," Auron joked back.

"Wait, that means we're close to Bevelle!" Tidus realized, jumping.

A crackle overhead indicated someone was about to use the intercom system.

"Rikku, you read me?" Cid shouted. "We're gonna fight that thing! Get on deck and show him what you got! Go!"

"There he goes again," Rikku muttered, shaking her head slowly.

"The ferryman asks a high price," Auron added.

No one dared to respond, but instead they made their way to the deck's airlift. Rin was waiting there for them.

"Open the hatch. We fight," Auron commanded.

"Evrae is truly mighty. Be well prepared," Rin warned them. "Would you like to buy any supplies before you depart?"

"We gotta pay! If we lose, you'll die too, buddy!" Wakka gasped. Rin shrugged.

"I have faith in your victory."

"Gee, thanks."

When the party reached the deck, Evrae was there to greet them. It roared and flew up next to the airship.

"Wow, if it wasn't our enemy, I'd say it was pretty," Dylan said, tapping her chin with her index finger. "Oh well. Let's kill it."

"We gotta keep our distance, boys, but we can't let her get too far away," Cid's voice boomed through the air. "You all have to tell me when to move! But tell me quick, eh? This rig ain't so nimble, you hear?"

"Roger! I'll give the commands!" Tidus shouted back.

"Not alone, you won't!" Rikku exclaimed.

"Yeah, Rikku and I have got your back!" Dylan said. Tidus nodded in agreement.

"Alright, let's get it!" Wakka cried, hurling his blitzball at the creature. It roared fiercely, then swiped its claw at Kimahri.

"Careful, Wakka! This thing can petrify you!" Dylan warned him. "Don't provoke it!"

"Petrify!" he exclaimed. "What is that, ya?"

Before anyone could answer, Evrae bit down on Dylan hard. Her entire body turned ash grey, then hardened. Her eyes were wide with shock.

"_That's_ petrification!" he gasped, staring at his friend.

"Somebody heal her quick! Evrae could shatter her body!" Lulu cried.

"I'm on it!" Rikku exclaimed, tossing out a liquid-filled bomb called "soft." It exploded above Dylan, then rained down on her. Slowly the color returned back to her, and she fell to her knees.

"You okay?" Tidus asked her.

"Pnehk dra creb pylg! (Bring the ship back!)" she shouted to Cid, pushing herself up slowly. "I'm fine. We need to get the ship back for a minute. Have Lu and Wakka use attacks on it, and Rikku and Kimahri too. The rest of us need to wait."

"Did you hear that, guys?" Tidus asked them, running off, leaving Dylan to herself. Her heart felt funny, and everything seemed blurry. Never again did she ever wanted to be petrified...

"Dylan, get up!"

Rikku pulled Dylan away.

"Are you okay?" she asked her. Dylan nodded.

"I hope that doesn't happen to anyone else," she stated. "I'll be fine. C'mon, we've gotta get through this to get to Yuna!"

}{}{}{

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Evrae roared one last time, and its body fell down to Spira below us.

"Cruud! Fa'na mucehk bufan! (Shoot! We're losing power!)" Brother cried from the inside of the ship.

"Rao! E caa Bevelle! (Hey! I see Bevelle!)" Cid exclaimed.

We all turned to look at the city that was appearing from behind the clouds.

"Bevelle..." I sighed, blowing my hair out of my face. "Here we go..." I inhaled deeply, then shouted, "EVERYBODY GRAB ON TO SOMETHING AND _DO NOT LET GO_!"

The ship sailed through the air, up into the clouds, then started to dive down towards the city. I could hear bells clanging in the distance. Tidus was next to me; he looked determined. I guess I could relate, but still...

Then, barely, I could see little lights flying around...it took me a moment, but I soon realized they were pyreflies.

"We're getting closer," I said to myself. "I can't stand this..."

It's not like I was worried about storming the Bevelle, running through the temple, or even facing Seymour again. It was what was to follow that scared me. Because if we succeeded here, Yuna and Tidus...

I closed my eyes for a moment, dismissing the thought. _I absolutely had to focus_.

Suddenly our ship burst through the clouds, and our view of the city was as clear as day. We were close enough for them to shoot at us if they wanted, and I knew they wanted to.

"Geez!" I cried as bullets whizzed by us, narrowly missing our hiding places.

A white veil passed by us at one point, and I knew we would be "landing" soon.

Sure enough, the ship shot down some cables that dug into the "red carpet" of Bevelle.

"Let's go!" someone shouted, and we each jumped on the cables, sliding down them, well on our way to city. Tidus was in front of me, and he was obviously enjoying himself too much as he jumped and flipped from cable to cable. I was not daring enough to even _consider_ doing that...

And before I knew it, we had landed in Bevelle...and landed ourselves in a whole shitload of trouble.


	12. Chapter 12: Believe

Chapter 12: Believe

FLASHBACK START

"Dylaaaan!"

Dylan whipped her head around to see her best friend running toward her.

"I caught one, Dyl!" Emi cried, her nine-year-old hands cupped. "It's really pretty!"

"Did you really catch one this time, or are you gonna scare me again?" Dylan asked, taking a step back.

"No, for real this time!" Emi laughed. "You ready? One, two, _three_!"

Upon opening her hands, a bright white butterfly flew up into the air, startled.

The two girls stared at it for a while, just staring.

It was so beautiful. It seemed to simply float on top of the air effortlessly, bouncing about. Dylan longed to be that beautiful...that free. Someday she wanted to grow wings. She wanted to grow wings, spread them, and fly into the air. She wanted to fly and never come back.

But she knew that would never happen.

"What should we catch now?" Emi asked when the butterfly was out of sight.

"I don't know...let's go inside for a while. Maybe Addy will play with us."

FLASHBACK END

The fighting seemed endless, just like the red carpet.

However, the seven of them slowly but surely made their way closer and closer to Yuna. They were going to rescue her, even if it meant their own demise.

That was proved even more true when bullets danced about Tidus and Dylan's feet.

"This has gone far enough!" Kinoc growled, a gun in his hands.

"I'll say it has," Dylan muttered, her eyes fiercer than usual.

Tidus started to run forward, but Auron quickly held him back.

"Stop!" Auron commanded.

Tidus didn't understand at first, but then he looked around him. The party was entirely surrounded by countless monks, all of them in armor, and all of them armed. Each one of them had his gun at the ready to fire if necessary.

Tidus' gaze rose back up to Yuna and Seymour, who were only a few yards away. They were _so close_, but still...had they failed?

Suddenly Tidus noticed Yuna begin to bring her summoner's rod out from behind her. He started forward, but Kinoc held a gun to his chin. Tidus didn't dare move.

That is, until Yuna stood in front of Seymour, rod in front of her, ready to send. Tidus moved to the side a bit to get a better view. He could hardly believe what he was seeing.

"You would play at marriage just for a chance to send me? Your resolve is admirable," Seymour taunted. "All the more fitting to be my lovely wife."

To everyone's surprise but joy, Yuna began to send him. Pyreflies began to escape into the air, and it seemed like finally...finally this part of their troubles would end.

"Stop!"

Then that shout came. Maester Mika stepped into view.

"Do you not value your friends' lives?" he asked. Yuna faltered, then turned to look at them. Each one was still being held at gunpoint. "Your actions determine their fate. Protect them...or throw them away. The choice is yours."

Slowly, Yuna lowered her rod, then dropped it. It clanged down a small flight of stairs, landing in front of Tidus' feet. Her decision had been made...but was it the right one? Tidus frowned at the ground, then looked back up to Seymour and Yuna.

"You are wise," Seymour, murmured, his voice low. Yuna would not even look at him.

}{}{}{

*Sick. Sick. Sick.*

My mind just kept repeating that word as Seymour closed in on his prey, placing his long-nailed fingers on Yuna's shoulders. Sick.

Rikku turned to me and Lulu and let out a whimper. I made a face of digust and horror. It was beyond anything ANYONE should ever have to go through. If I had been Yuna, I would've thrown myself off of the cliff in the Calm Lands before ever considering marrying this guy. Sick.

Wakka looked ready to vomit; I could relate. I shivered as Seymour placed his hand on Yuna's cheek, then traced down to her breastbone. Sick.

And then, it happened. Tidus growled next to me and started forward again. Guns clicked, and he backed off. Bells rang. People clapped (wtf?). Seymour kissed Yuna.

Which, by the way, was _SICK_.

Even from where I was standing, I could see Yuna's fist clench tightly as Seymour's lips pressed deeper into her own.

Tidus, who was even MORE tense than Yuna, narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth.

The only thing that made it even worse was the order Seymour gave after kissing Yuna:

"Kill them."

Yuna gasped as Kinoc's gun returned to Tidus' chin. I also had a gun in my face, but I held my gaze that rotated between Seymour, Yuna, Kinoc, and Tidus.

"I am sorry, but it is for Yevon," Kinoc said to Tidus.

"Aren't those weapons forbidden by Yevon?" Auron snarled. It seemed the guards by him felt threatened; their guns weren't nearly as close to him as they should've been...

"There are exceptions."

As if in response to my earlier thoughts, Kinoc moved his gun to Auron's face. Tidus stumbled off to the side, almost running into me. Auron just stared at Kinoc, his eyes burning with rage and fighting spirit.

"No!" came a furious cry.

Everyone looked to see Yuna standing on one of the tower's many open ledges. She looked absolutely PISSED.

"Throw down your weapons!" she commanded. "Let them go, or else..." She slowly began to step closer and closer to the edge of the ledge (hey, that rhymed!). That was her threat. Not bad.

Seymour, who was watching her closely, waved his arm. Every guard in sight, including Kinoc, lowered his gun to his side. We immediately ran forward.

"Leave now! Please!" Yuna shouted at us. She didn't look angry now, just concerned.

"You're coming with us!" Tidus said quickly, standing right next to Seymour when he said it. I couldn't help but laugh. Seymour must've really hated Tidus...or at least thought he was obnoxious.

"Don't worry! Go!" She was really insisting now.

"This is foolish," Seymour said. "If you fall, you'll die."

"Noooo, really? I thought she could _fly_, dumbss!" I shouted in Seymour's face. He narrowed his eyes at me while Tidus and I hi-fived. I figured that would come back to haunt me, but boy, did it feel great!

It probably felt as great as when Yuna wiped her mouth off dramatically. Goodbye, Seymour's saliva!

"Don't worry," she repeated. "I can fly." Tidus shook his head quickly. "Believe." He then nodded a bit.

"Well, whaddya know? She really can fly!" I said, elbowing Seymour in the side. Once again, Tidus hi-fived me, and Rikku and Wakka joined in.

But just as we finished celebrating another jab to the baddies, Yuna disappeared from the ledge.

"Yuna!" Tidus cried, rushing forward. Seymour got there first, though, and he intensely watched her from the ledge she once stood upon.

"I've gotta see this!" I said, running over to the side. I could see her falling pretty clearly.

And...it reminded me of something.

}{}{}{

Everyone stared at Yuna as she fell story after story. She...strangely enough...looked very beautiful and peaceful as she fell. She looked very free, as if she had no cares, no worries. Just that she was in the air, falling. Dylan longed to be that beautiful...that free. Someday she wanted to grow wings. She wanted to grow wings, spread them, and fly into the air. She wanted to fly and never come back... ... ...

Suddenly a bright light flashed in the air below them. Nobody could tell what was going on, until suddenly a reddish-orange blur flew down past them.

"An aeon!" Dylan gasped, pointing at Valefor, who spread its wings and caught Yuna on its back. She stared up at them, confident. It was safe enough to go, and there was no time to waste.

"Cover your eyes!" Rikku suddenly shouted, throwing something out in front of her. Seymour stared at it stupidly, still in shock from the scene he had just witnessed. The tiny bomb exploded into light, and the fiend couldn't help but look away before he was permanently blinded.

"Go go go!" Dylan urged them, and so the seven fled down the stairs as fast as they could.

"Wh-What was that?" Wakka stammered, already out of breath.

"An Al Bhed flashbomb!" Rikku replied.

"Lemme go!" Tidus shouted at Kimahri, who was trying to drag him along. "I'm gonna kill that Seymour!"

"Yuna said leave! We leave!" Kimahri insisted.

"We'll join up with her later!" Lulu added, running alongside Dylan and Auron.

"Break through!" Auron commanded them. And so they did. Nothing could stop them now from getting to Yuna and making their getaway. But the real question was...where could they possibly find Yuna?

"Where'd Yunie go?" Rikku wondered out loud.

"Bevelle Palace is temple," Kimahri said as the group stood outside of the Temple of Light's doors. "Yuna goes to one place only."

"The Chamber of the Fayth!" Tidus answered quickly.

Without hesitation, the party ran inside.

It wasn't like any of the other temples. Normally, temples were filled with people, both commoners and those with religious positions. This one was eerily silent.

"It's too quiet," Lulu said, looking around, obviously picking up on the bizarre nature of the place. "A trap?"

"Who cares? Yuna's waiting for us!" Tidus insisted.

"She'll have no one to wait for if we end up as prisoners," Dylan argued, walking down a few more steps to get a better view. No one besides them was even there. It was completely empty. So much for a religious city.

"Huh?"

The entire fellowship turned to watch Rikku as she walked over to a glowing panel and started pressing buttons. They would've been worried had they not realized what she was messing around with: a machina. Soon something rumbled below them, most likely a door.

"What's a machina doing in the temple?" Wakka murmured, folding his arms across his chest.

"I suppose it comes in handy," Rikku said, shrugging it off.

"That's not what I mean!" Wakka snapped. "The teachings! What about the teachings?"

"Hey, don't look at me!"

}{}{}{

I wasn't surprised to see another machina panel at the bottom of the staircase. I don't know why anyone else would've been. You'd think they'd have figured out that Yevon is full of it by now. But apparently I was stuck on the short bus.

"Another machina?" Wakka groaned as Rikku pushed the buttons to reveal a door behind a cascading indoor waterfall. "Man..."

"So this is Yevon's true face," Auron muttered, not sounding surprised. "They betray their own teachings."

Wakka hung his head low before adding, "They treated us like dirt."

Nobody said anything else...so we proceeded into the next room, which held...

"The entrance to the Trials," Lulu sighed.

"I wonder if Yunie's really in there," Rikku said.

"Only one way to find out," I replied, sighing as well.

"Let's go," Lulu said.

Bevelle's Trial was beyond anything we'd encountered before. Everywhere you looked, there was some sort of special machina. We even rode on little levatating panels back and forth, rotating spheres, finding objects... It was all very high-tech and even sort of interesting. But it seemed like ages until we reached the antechamber.

Tidus was the last to enter the room.

"Yuna?" he cried, running in.

"Inside, maybe?" Wakka suggested, shrugging. He glanced at the entrance to the Chamber of the Fayth warily.

"Then what are we standing here for?"

Tidus walked over to the door of the Chamber, and rubbing his hands together, knelt down to the ground. He then tried to lift it, using all his strength, all his effort. It still wasn't enough.

"H-Hey!" Wakka cried, wanting to stop him. Rikku and I glared at him.

"You can stuff your taboos!" Tidus growled, not bothering to turn around. He was still struggling with the door.

"Fine..." I said to myself, and so Kimahri and I ran over to help him. The door was surprisingly heavy, but between the three of us, it was nothing.

"Thanks," he murmured before dashing in.

I followed, and I didn't know if the others were close behind or not, but I knew Auron would be there.

Inside, Yuna was knelt on the ground, praying to the Fayth. Bahamut's outline was in a yellow, glowing indentation in the floor, right by Yuna's knees. In front of her was a small boy, but he was translucent, and he was also floating in the air.

And he also reminded me of a whole other set of problems I had to face soon.

Tidus knew that Yuna was going to die. He didn't know that _he_ would no longer exist as well, no matter what Yuna's outcome was. _I knew_. That was a problem.

"Wh-What's that?" Tidus asked us, staring at the boy.

"A fayth," Auron replied quietly, walking up next to Tidus. "They join with the summoner and together receive the aeon. They are human souls, imprisoned in stone by ancient Yevon rites. The dead should be allowed to rest."

Then the craziest thing I've ever seen happened. The little boy fayth flew into Yuna, nearly knocking her backward. He just disappeared into her like it was nothing. She, however, fell forward, clearly unconcious.

That little boy's spirit was that huge aeon? It still seems unbelievable...

"Yuna!" Tidus said, running over to her. As he stared at her for a moment, I lifted my head, and Hymn of the Fayth became more clear sounding. Soon Tidus, Yuna, and I were the only ones in the room, and it felt awkward, so I walked away.

It wouldn't be the last time I'd have to walk away like that.

}{}{}{

"Wait, don't come out!"

Too late.

Tidus, with Yuna in his arms, walked into the antechamber to see it filled with guards and monks, including Kinoc.

"There's the last of them," Kinoc said, walking forward. "You are to stand trial."

"I expect it will be a fair trial," Auron said with biting sarcasm.

Kinoc chuckled, smiling insincerely. "Of course it will."

He nodded toward the guards, and so the entire party was captured, just like that.

But at least they were all together again.


	13. Chapter 13: The Last Angels

Chapter 13: The Last Angels (Song: youtube - watch?v=RGxoYngxKYw)

FLASHBACK START

"He's so gorgeous."

"Trisha, if you say that sentence one more time..." Dylan threatened playfully, kicking Trisha in the butt.

"But it's true!" The pale blonde stared at the young man nearby. He was quite amazing. His clean-cut black hair glistened under the stage lights. "I hope he wins..."

"WHAT?" Emi now joined in on the conversation. "How could you say that? We just danced and sang our sses off, and you want some pretty boy to win?"

"Have you HEARD him sing?" Trisha argued. "I heard he speaks four languages, too!"

"He does speak Japanese," Dylan confirmed.

"Ugh, you two..."

"Hey, I'm only stating a fact!" Dylan gasped, frowning. "Besides, I was thinking..." She lowered her voice. "For the fall talent show, we should get him and his friend to sing with us. Think about it. We could perform "Last Angel"...and with his voice, you KNOW we'd place high!"

"Hmm..." Emi tapped her chin twice.

"Plus it'll give the stargazer over here a chance to get to hang out with him," Dylan added, elbowing Trisha.

"Ow..." she muttered, pouting.

"I like that idea..." Emi said, her lips curling into a devious smile. "Alright, it's decided. All in favor say 'aye.'"

"Aye," Dylan said enthusiastically.

"Aye," Trisha murmured, not taking her eyes off of the "gorgeous" Korean boy.

"And aye. Alright. I'll start working on it tomorrow. Oh, and Trisha, you and Dylan can ask him to help us."

FLASHBACK END

"The High Court of Yevon is now in session," said a deep voice. Yuna stood before the "jury" with her friends at her side. It was now or never, it seemed. "The sacred offices of this court seek nothing but absolute truth, in Yevon's name. To those on trial: Believe in Yevon, and speak only the truth."

"Maester Kelk Ronso," Lulu murmured.

Indeed, the Ronso Maester stood just feet away from them, just above them, staring down at Yuna. His eyes were fierce, like Kimahri's, but held no sympathy.

"Summoner Yuna." Yuna slowly lifted her head to look at Kelk. "You have sworn to protect the people of Yevon, true?"

"Yes," she answered sincerely. Anyone that knew anything about her knew that protecting the innocent was one of her biggest aspirations.

"Then, consider: you have inflicted dire injury upon Maester Seymour Guado..."

Yuna, out of the corner of her eye, could see a smirk appear on Seymour's disgusting face. She held strong.

"...Conspired with the Al Bhed and joined in their insurrection. These are traitorous and unforgivable crimes that disturb the order of Yevon. Tell this court what possessed you to participate in such violence."

What court? each one of them thought. The court Kelk Ronso spoke of consisted of himself, Seymour, Kinoc, and Maester Mika, along with a couple of guards here and there. Some trial.

"Your Grace..." Yuna started, pausing before she continued with her accusation. "The real traitor is Maester Seymour! He killed his father Jyscal with his own hands!"

"What is this!" Kelk Ronso shouted, baffled. He turned to Seymour, who was entirely calm.

"Hmm? Hadn't you heard?" Seymour said with such nonchalance that Tidus wanted to gag.

"Not only that..." Yuna continued. "Maester Seymour is already dead!"

"It is a summoner's sacred duty to send the souls of the departed to the Farplane!" Lulu pointed out desperately. "Yuna was only doing her job as a summoner!" Rikku nodded eagerly, as if that would help prove it.

"Grand Maester Mika..." Yuna begged, and the old man stepped forward. "Please, send Seymour now!"

"Send the unsent to where they belong?" he asked her calmly.

"Yes!" she cried, nodding once. Mika, to her surprise, began to chuckle to himself. "Maester?"

"Send the dead...hmm?"

Suddenly Mika's body glowed white, and pyreflies began to fly out of him, dancing around in colored lights. Just like Seymour. Yuna felt her stomach drop as she gasped.

"You would have to send me, too," he stated.

"What!" Wakka gasped, furrowing his brow.

"Grand Maester Mika is a wise leader," Kelk explained. "Even in death, he is invaluable to Spira."

"Enlightened rule by the dead is preferable to the misguided failures of the living," Kinoc added, an air of arrogance to his tone.

"That's sick and twisted and you know it!" Dylan shouted, clenching her fists tightly. Tidus grabbed her wrist and squeezed it tightly as if to say, "It's no use fighting them right now."

"Life is but a passing dream, but the death that follows is eternal," Seymour said, still with the same nonchalance as before.

"Men die. Beasts die. Trees die. Even continents perish," Mika said. "Only the power of death truly commands in Spira. Resisting its power is futile."

"But what of Sin?" Yuna cried, furious. "I am a summoner, my lord, like my father before me! I am on a pilgrimage to stop the death that Sin brings. Are you... Are you telling me that, too, is futile?" She paused for a moment to compose herself. She wanted to cry, to scream at them, but she knew it would be of no use. "Grand Maester Mika, I am not alone! All the people who have opposed Sin... Their battles, their sacrifices-were they all in vain?"

"Not in vain," Mika replied, still calm, despite Yuna's anger. "No matter how many summoners give their lives, Sin cannot be truly defeated. The rebirth cannot be stopped. Yet the courage of those who fight gives the people hope. There is nothing futile in the life and death of a summoner."

"Never futile...but never ending," Auron muttered loud enough for Mika to hear.

"Indeed, that is the essence of Yevon," Mika agreed, nodding.

"Lord Mika!" Yuna whispered, shocked.

"Yevon is embodied by eternal, unchanging continuity, summoner," he assured her.

"No...that can't be right!"

Now it was Mika's turn to be angry.

"Those who question these truths-they are traitors!" His voice boomed through the courtroom.

"Lord Mika!" Yuna cried again in a gasp.

But there was nothing that could be done now. The court was now adjourned.

}{}{}{

I don't really know how long we sat in prison. I could see Auron and Tidus nearby, I was with Lulu, but I didn't know where they had taken Yuna, and I couldn't see Wakka or Rikku either.

"What do you think they'll do to us?" Lulu wondered. I was surprised she was asking me this. Wasn't she the one who was supposed to know everything.

"I don't know. I don't think they'll kill us right away...that would be silly," I said.

"Wait, why did I ask you that?" Lulu said, smirking. "What I meant was, tell me what they're going to do to us. You know, right?"

"Yeah..." I admitted, crossing my arms. "They'll split us up. You, Auron, Kimahri, and Yuna will be in Via Purifico...and Wakka, Rikku, and Tidus will be in some underground water cavern. As for me...well, I could go either way. I could manage in the water cavern..."

"Can we escape from them?" she asked me. When I nodded, she breathed a sigh of relief. "You're very clever, you know."

"Me? Aw, shucks. Well, I try." I grinned at her. She's so cool.

"Look, there are guards," she suddenly said, pointing. I stood up for a better view; I could see them leading Wakka and Rikku out.

"Yeah, they're taking them now. We might be next," I said, sitting back down.

"We are."

Jumping back up, I saw another set of guards heading toward us.

"Alright, come on now," one said, grabbing Lulu and dragging her away.

"You don't have to drag me," I said, hopping out of the cage. Still, when I landed, another guard grabbed me roughly and pulled me along. "Or you could just, y'know, not listen."

"Alright, so who's going where?" the guard holding me asked.

"Put yours in Via Purifico. We'll send this one-" He shook Lu's arm. "...in the caverns."

My heart nearly stopped. I knew there was no way Lu would survive down there.

"Wow, you guys are dumb," I said, laughing. I had to think of something, FAST.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, for real! I mean, you're putting a former Blitzballer in an underwater cavern?"

The guards stopped and stared at Lulu.

"She's...right," Lulu admitted, shooting an angry glance at me. I could tell, though, that she was once again impressed. "You should send her to the caverns. She _deserves_ to drown for giving _that _away!"

I gasped. She was a brilliant actress!

"Alright, that's fine with us."

Soon we were separated. I shot Lu one last look. She looked scared.

But then she winked. I had to struggle to hide my grin.

"Alright, little lady, in you go!" a monk shouted, shoving me into the water.

I pretended to scream, feigning drowning.

"I can't swim!" I shouted over and over.

And then the guards left the room, slamming the door behind them.

"Ah, okay," I said, taking a deep breath before submerging myself underwater.

It was awesome. I could hold my breath even longer here than on Earth.

"Hey!" someone shouted. I turned to see Rikku and Wakka swimming my way.

"Hey, you guys!" I said, surprised at my capabilities as I swam toward them. We were lucky to have just enough room to poke our heads up for a breath.

"You alright?" Rikku asked me, looking me over.

"Yeah. Fine. You guys good?" They nodded. "Don't worry, I know what to do. We just gotta wait for bonehead."

"Bonehead?" Wakka asked.

A big splash in the distance interrupted us.

"Tidus," I answered, swimming toward the noise.

"Oooh! You made it!" Wakka exclaimed as Tidus swam toward us. They hi-fived.

"What's our sentence?" Tidus asked us.

"Think they expect us to give up and die down here," Wakka replied.

"Well, that's a lame way to kill someone."

"Why are you complaining?" I asked, grinning. He shrugged and grinned back.

"Where's Yunie?" Rikku asked.

"She's in Via Purifico, up above us," I answered for him, pointing up. "C'mon, we've gotta find the exit and meet up with them again."

}{}{}{

Tidus felt a little better already, knowing Yuna and the others were safe and sound...and on dry land. It was all such a coincidence that the split turned out this way.

Dylan led the way nearly the whole time throughout the maze. Now that everyone knew she knew everything, it was easier to trust her opinions, especially now.

Finally, Dylan pointed up, and the four friends rose to the surface, gulping in some fresh air.

"Okay, you guys, there's a baddie comin' up," Dylan explained pointing. "It's a zombie."

"Creepy," Wakka said, shuddering.

"Nah, that's easy stuff!" Rikku exclaimed, pumping her fist into the air.

"Right! We just use health items on it," Dylan agreed, nodding. "They have a reverse effect."

"What is the thing a zombie of?" Tidus asked, cocking his head slightly. Dylan grinned.

"You'll see!"

And without another word, she dove underwater again.

In actuality, Dylan was kind of pretty.

Suddenly the group was trapped inside a cage-like contraption.

*Whoa, wait a sec!* Tidus thought as a large serpent creature appeared before him. *This is...Evrae!*

He looked at Dylan for reassurance, and she nodded, smiling goofily.

Well...this would be easy!

Each of the four pulled a Phoenix Down from his or her pocket and tossed it at the creature all at once. It exploded into pyreflies immediately.

Well...that _was_ easy!

Dylan pointed just ahead of them eagerly. _The exit_!

Wow...Bevelle was not very well adapted for prisoners after all.

"Yeah!" Rikku cheered as she pulled herself out of the water. "We did it!"

"Shhh!" Dylan shushed her, ringing out her clothes. "You don't know who could be around!"

"But look!" Wakka said.

Four people walked out of the doors nearby; Yuna was in the lead.

"Yunie!" Rikku cheered, tackle-hugging her cousin. She was still sopping wet. "You're all right? We were so worried! It's good to have you back!"

"Thank you," Yuna said, hugging her back.

"Um... I...uh..." Tidus stammered, stepping toward Yuna. She waited a moment, but soon another distraction appeared.

Seymour, Kinoc, and an array of Guado soldiers were walking toward them. The party stood, ready to do whatever necessary.

"Oh," Dylan said, straightening herself up.

Tidus wondered why, but then he saw what she was looking at. Kinoc wasn't walking toward them. He was actually being carried by his collar by a single monk guard. When they stopped walking, the guard dropped him, and his lifeless body fell to the floor. He was _dead_!

"Kinoc!" Auron said, a bit of surprise noticeable in his tone.

"Why, you!" Tidus growled. He was really DONE with this Seymour guy. _DONE_.

"I have saved him," Seymour declared, chuckling a bit. "He was a man who craved power. And great power he had, but he feared losing it. Trembling at unseen enemies, he spent his days scheming petty schemes. Chased by his fears, never knowing rest. You see..." Seymour looked down at Kinoc with a small, satisfied smile on his face.

"Now, he has no worries. He has been granted sleep eternal. Death is a sweet slumber. All the pain of life is gently swept away... Ah, yes. So you see...if all life were to end on Spira, all suffering would end. Don't you see? Do you not agree? That, Yuna, is why I need you." Seymour beckoned her with his hand, but she did not move. "Come, Lady Yuna. Come with me to Zanarkand, the lost city of the dead. With death on our side, we will save Spira, and for this...I will take from you your strength, Yuna, your life, and become the next Sin. I will destroy Spira! I will save it!"

"You're totally nuts!" Tidus scoffed, stepping forward.

Suddenly, Kimahri ran forward, and with a low growl, brought forward his spear, nearly touching the Maester's chest. He stared Seymour down with dark menace in his normally calm eyes.

"Unpleasant..." Seymour muttered. "Very well. I will give you your death. You seem to want it so."

He pulled out a small staff similar to Yuna's, and darkness emerged from it as he held it high above his head. Slowly, the Guado guards, the monk guard, and even Kinoc transformed into pyreflies. Seymour absorbed each one of them, and before the party's very eyes, he transformed into a huge monster.

Kimahri held himself there.

"Run!" he commanded them. "Protect Yuna!"

"Go!" Auron added when no one moved.

"No way! I'm fighting!" Tidus insisted. Frustrated, Auron pulled out his sword and swung it so it landed near Tidus' face.

"I said _go_!"

Still with hesitation, Tidus looked at Yuna. Her eyes were desparate, but Tidus knew better. He finally ran off, and the rest of the group followed him, leaving Kimahri to his fate.


	14. Chapter 14: Get Up and Move!

Chapter 14: Get Up and _Move_! (Song: youtube - watch?v=KvXh6MVsqmI)

FLASHBACK START

Humming the familiar tune to herself, Dylan trotted over to the CD player. She pressed play for the fourth time that afternoon, and began to practice her dance for the talent show.

Though...it wasn't really _hers_. It was actually Koda Kumi's, and she was not dancing it by herself.

For the fourth time in two years, she, Emi, and Trisha would perform a Koda Kumi song for the talent show. They were a hit every time. The crowd loved them, and the judges were starting to. They were ranked higher and higher each time. But it wasn't enough.

They wanted to win.

Though...it wasn't that each one wanted to win on her own. All three of them wanted to win _together_. It was pointless if they couldn't be in it with each other. It was pointless if they had no one else to rely on. They needed each other. And, especially with Trisha's recent diagnosis, these were the times they needed to remember forever.

There wouldn't always be that trio there, so they had to make it last.

*I won't be a weak link here,* Dylan thought as she danced her way through Koda's "Get Up & Move!". *I'll show them we're all equal here. We all have each other. That's all.*

FLASHBACK END

"I won't leave Kimahri behind!" Yuna cried as the doors shut behind them.

"He is a guardian," Auron said with a slight bit of sympathy. "Protecting you is everything."

"Auron!" she insisted.

"That's right!" Tidus said suddenly, putting his hands on his hips. He grinned at Dylan, and she grinned back mischieviously. "We're all guardians! Yeah, and you know what that means? Yuna... Anywhere you go, I'll follow!"

"Anywhere I go?" she gasped quickly.

"Yeah, anywhere!"

"Well, then!" Yuna grinned now, too.

"Let's go!" they exclaimed in unison, running back toward the doors.

"Hey, Kimahri! Leave some for us!" Tidus shouted, nearing the entrance.

"Wait up!" Dylan shouted, sprinting after them.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Wakka whined, following her.

"Me, too!" Rikku added.

"I'll go, too!" Lulu said to Auron, smiling. She hurried after them, and soon, Auron was right behind her.

They would do this together.

}{}{}{

"So you, too, seek freedom from this painful life?" the Seymour monster asked us as we ran toward it.

"You talk too much, Seymour," Tidus said, almost playfully.

"It is good to see you again, Lady Yuna," it continued, ignoring Tidus' jab, "but you don't seem pleased..."

"I'll only be pleased when you're gone to the Farplane!" she snapped.

"The Farplane, eh?"

"Actually," I said, holding up a finger, "the Farplane is too nice for you. Murderers should go somewhere different."

"Then you'll be right with me!" he pointed out.

"True," I said, shrugging. "Still, we didn't seek out innocent people! Jyscal, Kinoc...now you're trying for us!"

"Kinoc was anything but innocent," Seymour argued.

"Although he was not the man I once knew, Kinoc was still my friend, Seymour," Auron said angrily. "You will pay for his death!"

He nodded to Yuna, who flung her arms to the sky, summoning an aeon.

"Bahamut!" I gasped, wide-eyed.

Oh-kay, so Bahamut has always looked really cool in this game, not to mention other games and Advent Children... But I was completely shocked by the real-life version of this aeon.

It was enormous, to start, over five times the size of Yuna. Its wings nearly knocked us all over when it flew down. And its roar was so low it rocked the floor and reminded me of my car back on Earth with its pimped out subs and what not.

"This'll do him in for sure," Tidus said to me, grinning.

"Let's hope so," I murmured.

The aeon began to use its overdrive, Mega Flare. And when everything started to explode, I realized Tidus was completely right. That was all we needed.

It really was. Seymour lifted his head and let out a silent wail as his morphed body began to explode into pyreflies.

"Alright, let's go!" I shouted, waving Yuna over. She nodded and dismissed Bahamut, who disappeared into the clouds. "We need to leave before Mika or Kelk comes out next!"

"For all we know, Kelk could be dead," Auron muttered, running off. The rest of us followed him closely.

"Yeah, considering Mika already is," I said quietly.

As we ran back to a place where we could rest in peace (no pun intended!), I noticed the devastated look on Yuna's face. She looked as if she'd lost everything. I guess I understood that, though. Her faith was completely shattered, right in an instant. Everything she once stood for was useless.

Or, at least, right then it was.

Tidus was also looking at Yuna, more concerned than I was (obviously). I wondered if he really realized then that he was in love with her.

I didn't want to think about it. That moment...was too close for me to stay calm.

Thinking of what was to come gave me an adrenaline rush, and I sprinted it off. I didn't dare look back until my feet were suddenly pounding against leaves and dirt.

Macalania Woods again. Only this time, things would be different.

After walking for a while, I sat down, leaning up against a rock. Rikku soon plopped down next to me, and Lulu stood beside me. Both were completely silent.

I was okay with that.

}{}{}{

Yuna was the last of the eight to enter Macalania. She couldn't help it. Her heart was so heavy with grief that it made it impossible to run fast.

Everything...was a lie.

With that thought repeating in her mind, she walked right past Rikku and Dylan, away from the rest of her companions.

"Yunie?" Rikku murmured, prepared to get up.

Yuna slowly shook her head.

"I just want to be alone," she whispered, walking away.

She walked and walked, in circles and other various patterns, until finally she was so tired, she couldn't walk anymore. So she sat.

She desparately wanted to cry. For some reason, her tear ducts were not cooperating. Something was holding her back.

So she began to think.

Everything she had been working for was a lie after all. All those years, she had slaved over teachings, never toeing the line with anything questionable, working hard to understand Yevon and the sacrifices that were made.

Anger overtook her for a moment as she thought of her father. His death was completely in vain. She could still remember people celebrating that Sin was gone, and she remembered Kimahri comforting her. Everyone there-no, everyone in the world-thought that sacrifice was the only way.

How stupid. It was all a lie.

How long had it been that corrupted? Was it always in vain?

She didn't know.

Maybe Dylan knew. Dylan knew everything, apparently, like some fortune teller. She knew what the outcome of this struggle would be. For a moment, Yuna wanted to ask Dylan, to beg her, to tell the truth about her future. Would she die in vain as well?

Yuna really started to consider taking action on this for a moment, but then she came to a horrible realization: knowing the future was probably causing Dylan more grief than she could ever imagine. It would be impossible for her to just ask Dylan whatever she wanted, and besides, Dylan couldn't help her anyway. Dylan was just as stuck as Yuna was.

In that moment, Yuna pitied Dylan. She had never thought of that before. She had never thought to feel sorry for such a strong young woman, but then again, she had never thought of that particular young woman's struggles before.

"I don't even know why I'm here," Dylan had supposedly said, according to Rikku. Yuna wondered why, too. Not that she would have it any other way. Dylan was great company, almost like another Rikku, even though she and Dylan had never talked much. No, Dylan usually kept company with Rikku, Lulu, and Tidus.

Tidus...that was a whole other dilemma.

Yuna couldn't quite know for sure, but she thought, maybe, she might love him. But she didn't want to take any action just yet. After all, her fate was still undecided.

But why should she have to wait? What for? What good would it do?

Troubled, Yuna stood up at last and began to wade into the spring's water.

}{}{}{

"Well?" Wakka said when Auron finally walked toward us. Tidus stood; I wondered why.

"We're all clear," Auron replied. "We will have to avoid Bevelle in the future." Auron looked at all of us, then jumped a bit. "Yuna?" he asked.

"Said she wanted to be alone," Rikku said in dismay. I nodded once, pulling my knees to my chest.

"Of course."

Auron walked over to Wakka and stood by him, but neither of them said anything. They were both still in shock. I think everyone was, except Tidus, who walked away like a man on a mission. That he was...

"Dyl?"

"Hn?"

I looked at Rikku, who was staring at me, concerned.

"Are you alright? You're being awfully quiet," she said.

"So are you," I pointed out. She sighed.

"True."

"But to answer your question..." I thought for a moment on how to answer this. "I am troubled, but also...I'm tired." I stood. "I think I'll take a walk."

"Do you need a buddy?" Rikku grinned. I managed to grin back.

"Nah, but thanks. I'll be fine."

So I walked off without another word.

At that point, I kind of just wanted to walk off the edge of the world and fall. I didn't know what to do with myself. I had never felt so alone. More than ever before, I missed Emi and Trisha, and especially Addy. They would've known exactly what to say to make my head spin in the right direction again. But I would have to manage without them...but for how long?

I hated that I knew everyone's future but _mine_!

Where was I supposed to go after this was all over? Would things ever be the same...?

No, I _did_ know that. Nothing would ever be the same again, whether I stayed in Spira or went back to Earth.

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a shiny blue butterfly that dove right in my face. Its brilliance distracted me. ...It reminded me of childhood dreams that had faded as I grew older.

I was stunned as the butterfly landed on my shoulder, then crawled down my arm.

"If I follow you, will you take me where I belong?" I asked it.

As if in response, it flew away. Or maybe it was just startled by my voice. Either way, I followed it. I had nothing to lose.


	15. Chapter 15: Candle Light

Chapter 15: Candle Light (Song: youtube - watch?v=_VkGSUkMsbw)

FLASHBACK START

"Addy!"

Five year old Dylan raced around in her dark house. It seemed endless, especially now that Addison had abandoned her. She knew it was probably meant to be a joke, but she was still scared out of her wits. She hated being alone.

"Addy, _this isn't funny_!" she cried, tears running down her round cheeks. "_ADDY_!"

She shrieked as a hand grabbed her arm.

"Dylan, it's me!"

Dylan shrieked again and hugged her brother tightly.

"Dylan, it's okay! Calm down!" Addison said, hugging his little sister. "Geez, were you really that scared?" He pushed her back, and he saw her chin quiver. "Aw, Dyl, c'mon. You know better. Look, I'll tell you a secret? You ready?"

She nodded, wiping her eyes.

"Okay, listen close. When you're running around by yourself in the dark, look for light."

"Light?"

"Yeah, it'll help you see the way you need to go. The light will show you things and you'll find me easier next time."

"There'd better not BE a next time!" Dylan snapped, shoving her brother.

FLASHBACK END

Yuna could hear Tidus approaching her, even though her back was to him. She didn't know why she knew it was him. But she knew she was right.

"I always thought that this would be easier somehow," she admitted, still not facing him. "I thought that everyone would help me...with all my friends together beside me. I've been trying so hard."

Tidus slowly walked into the water toward her.

"Maybe you're trying too hard," he said. "They told me...everything."

She glanced at him, surprised but disappointed.

"Everything?" He nodded ever so slightly. "Well, so then...you know."

"Yeah. I'm sorry." Yuna turned to him, a bit confused. "It's just you know...all those things I said. Like 'Let's go get Sin!' Or about Zanarkand... I didn't know what would happen to you, Yuna. I guess...I hope it didn't make you sad. Forgive me."

"I wasn't sad," she corrected him. "I was happy." She smiled, turning away from him once more.

Suddenly Tidus dove underwater and swam around for a bit. Yuna watched him, the same dumb smile on her face.

"Yuna," Tidus called when he surfaced. He floated on his back lazily. "Just don't do it."

"The pilgrimage?"

"Yeah. That's right," Tidus said, upright again. "Forget all about Sin, about being a summoner. Forget all that. You know, live a normal life. Come on now, Yuna, what do you say?"

Yuna thought for a moment. Was it possible?

"Maybe I will," she said at last, smiling again. Tidus swam over to her. "Wouldn't everyone be surprised?"

"Yeah. Except Rikku. She'd be with you. Lulu and Wakka wouldn't hold out long. Oh, and Dylan. She'd be all over it, too."

"Kimahri would say yes, too, I know," Yuna added. "But Sir Auron..." She lowered her head.

"I'll make him understand, Yuna," Tidus assured her. "It's the least I can do for you."

"No, I should tell him. He deserves it." Yuna began to walk past Tidus, staring at the beautiful night sky above her. Then she floated on her back, calm. "What'll I do if I give up my pilgrimage?"

"Hey! Zanarkand! Let's go to Zanarkand!" Tidus suggested. Yuna gave him a funny look. "Not the one in Spira, the one I'm from." Her face softened. "Yeah, we can all fly there. Everyone can go! Then we'll have a big party at my place!"

"And then we could see blitzball!" Yuna added, standing upright again. Tidus egged her on, nodding and "yeah"-ing as she spoke. "Your Zanarkand Abes would play! We could all watch you play, in the stadium all lit up at night. I'd cheer and cheer till I couldn't cheer anymore!"

"Right on!" Tidus cried, nodding enthusiastically.

"Well, what about after the game?" Yuna asked him.

"We'd go out and have fun!"

"In the middle of the night?"

"No problem!" Tidus replied, laughing. He then looked up at the night sky, thinking. "Zanarkand never sleeps! Let's go to the sea, before the sunrise. The city lights go out one by one. The stars fade... Then the horizon glows, almost like it's on fire." He spread out his arms, overexaggerated. Yuna stood beside him, also gazing up into the stars. "It's kinda rose-colored, right? First in the sea, then it spreads to the sky, then to the whole city. It gets brighter and brighter, till everything glows. It's really...pretty. I know you'd like it."

"I'd like to see it, someday," Yuna said, her heart heavy with the realization of the fact that this could never, ever happen.

"Well you can, Yuna," Tidus insisted. "We can both go!"

Suddenly, to Tidus' shock, Yuna began to cry.

"Yu...?"

"I can't," she murmured, her tears falling faster now. "I just can't! I can't go!"

Yuna burst into tears, but quietly, just like everything else she did. Tidus felt a wave of sorrow come over him as he watched her. But he knew now...he loved her with every fiber of his being.

"Yuna," he murmured, putting his hands on her shoulders gently as she wept uncontrollably. Yuna looked up at him pathetically, tears streaming down her cheeks. Tidus smiled a little at her, then slowly...it happened.

He kissed her gently, and her tears ceased almost at once. She felt her whole body melt and relax into his arms. It was so beautiful and amazing. She wanted to stay there forever, if she could.

}{}{}{

*Damn it all!* I remember thinking, resting my head on the tree behind me. I slid down to the ground in dismay. *This is a _nightmare_!*

Tidus...Yuna...the two of them, together like that? It was so epically beautiful, but at the same time, it made me want to throw myself off of a building. A really, really tall one.

I could practically feel Rikku's presence beside me, and what her reaction would be.

"Aw, go Yunie!" she'd be cheering, dancing about as she always does.

But I was glad she wasn't there. That way, I didn't have to hide my sadness.

*This would be extremely romantic if it weren't the guy I liked!* I thought, a ridiculous amount of tears streaming down my face. *Stupid butterfly! Why did it lead me here?*

I was so emotionally distraught. I couldn't even move. All I could manage to do was sit in the bushes and cry like a baby.

No.

_Like a sore loser_.

Yuna had just won a battle I didn't even want to fight. I just wanted to be loved. What was so wrong with that?

"Dylan loves him, too?"

"Oh geez!" I jumped at the sound of the growly, low voice that had just addressed me. The _last_ thing I had been expecting was _Kimahri_.

"Do you?" he inquired with such brilliant honesty that I wanted to cry even more.

"...Yeah."

I think just answering that question in that way kept him quiet the rest of the time we stayed in that spot. Someone knew. I guess I should've felt good about the fact that it was Kimahri...the one who never talks. But nothing could've possibly consoled me that night. I wanted to dissolve...or to bound off...or to fly away. I wanted to grow wings. I wanted to grow wings, spread them, and fly into the air. I wanted to fly and never come back. Just like that stupid butterfly who led me there.

But, the way I figured it, that would probably never happen, and so I wept in Yuna's place.

That was the only time in that journey that I ever wanted to go home. Ever.

After a long time, I finally had no more tears left.

"Come," Kimahri said quietly. I jumped again. I had forgotten he was there. "We go."

"Yeah," I murmured, standing. Light-headed, I wearily followed my Ronso friend to the campsite, where everyone else was asleep. I collapsed next to Rikku, exhausted.

"Don't tell anyone," I threatened Kimahri before I drifted off into sleep.

}{}{}{

"I'll continue," Yuna told Tidus quietly. He said nothing, but he did understand exactly what she meant. "I must. If I give up now...I could do anything I wanted to, and yet... Even if I was with you, I could never forget."

"I'll go with you," Tidus said in response to the sad look she gave him. He smiled. "I'm your guardian. Unless I'm...fired?"

Yuna smiled and shook her head.

"Stay with me until the end," she told him. "Please."

"Not until the end... Always."

Tidus looked at her, and she nodded.

"Always, then," she whispered.

There was a pause, then...

"Maybe you should head back to camp first," Yuna suggested.

"Roger!" Tidus complied eagerly, beginning to walk off. He wandered into the night, staring up at the sky...he felt light and airy...and for the first time, full of hope.

And then a whistle came. He started, then whipped himself around to see Yuna running toward him.

"Wait. I'll go with you," she said breathlessly.

Tidus shrugged and began to walk away again. Yuna trotted after him, and when she caught up, she placed her hand in his. He stopped for a second, then, with a smile, continued back to camp. They would do this together.

"Sir Auron?" Yuna said when they finally returned. He lifted his head, awakening immediately. "Wakka? Lulu? Kimahri? Dylan? Rikku?"

One by one, they lifted their heads and rubbed their eyes, wide awake.

"Everyone, we leave at dawn," Yuna continued. "And...I'm sorry for putting you all through this. And...um..."

"Enough," Auron mumbled. "You need your rest."

"Yes." Yuna nodded, a bit embarrassed. "Good night." She bowed, then walked away.

Once again, one by one, each person rested their heads and shut their eyes. The journey would be a long one, but they would continue...together.


	16. Chapter 16: Maze of the Heart

Chapter 16: Maze of the Heart (Song: youtube - watch?v=arV6R7x8bHE)

FLASHBACK START

"Four letter word for 'smile'?" Trisha said as she held her iPhone in her hand.

"'Grin,'" Emi answered, lying on her back on her own bed. Her house was typically their hangout choice. She had the biggest bedroom, not to mention the nicest house anyway...though Dylan's was bigger.

"Right, sorry," Trisha said, sticking out her tongue playfully.

"Why are you apologizing?" Dylan asked her, almost completely focused on Final Fantasy XII in front of her. Emi also had the biggest tv.

"Dunno. Habit, I guess."

*Habits are a funny thing,* Emi thought to herself, turning her head to watch Dylan as she blasted through some monsters. *They are very much so a reflection of one's character...*

"BAM!" Dylan shouted at the tv, standing up. "I win...again. Hah."

Slowly she sat back down and continued on.

*So...what did that reflect?*

FLASHBACK END

Overwhemling is a good word to describe the Calm Lands. But it wasn't overwhelming in a horrible sense. It's more like...overwhelmingly calm...and peaceful. Blue skies, green grass, a light breeze pushing through... No wonder summoners gave up here. Why leave this place?

"The Calm Lands," Lulu murmured. "Long ago, the high summoners fought Sin here. The road ends here. Beyond, there're no towns, no villages. Only endless plains."

Her dark, matter-of-fact tone was not fitting for the sunny landscape before us.

"Many summoners stray from their path and lose their way here," Auron added quietly.

Yuna, however, seemed completely unfazed and absolutely relaxed. So much so, that she collapsed backward into the grass, staring at the bright blue sky. I looked at it, too, but I couldn't find inspiration. My head was still swimming back in Macalania somewhere.

"I've always known where to go," the summoner said, her voice hopeful. Tidus slowly walked over to her and offered his hand, almost timidly.

"I... I won't let you die," he promised her. "I'll find a way, somehow."

I was surprised to see that I was not the only one watching them. Auron, from behind his sunglasses, was peering at them, observing everything.

Also to my surprise, Yuna did not take Tidus' hand after she sat upright.

*Huh?* I thought as she stood on her own. *That's not what happened in the game.*

"Let's go," Yuna said, smiling at us.

Why was that one little action not there? I wondered about it as we walked away in silence; Tidus was the last one of us to leave...why?

It was odd to walk on grass again, I noticed. It reminded me of summer days at home, where grass was my constant turf-literally. Here, the world was ruled by sand, rock, and foilage. Not to mention a whole lot of water. The sky was different in Spira as well. Not too many clouds...either that, or the cloud WAS the sky.

I had a thought: I wondered if I could still march.

Immediately, when I listened, I could hear the beat of an unsung song in my head. I started counting it out in sets of eight.

*One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, place-*

My body was amazingly cooperative. It remembered...I don't know why I was surprised.

"What are you doing, Dyl?" Rikku asked me as I marched along, gradually getting faster.

"Marching," I replied, not bothering to look up.

Marching...just that act alone...made me feel like myself again.

That previous night, I felt like I had lost something. I figure it was probably a combination of my hurt pride and destroyed hope that did the trick. It made me not want to wake up...or to even move. I could even look at Tidus without feeling strange. And the whole joke with that was...he didn't even know I watched the whole dmn scene. He probably thought I fell right asleep...I would've normally...go figure.

But I kept marching, and it felt amazing.

I ended reaching the campsite in the middle of the Calm Lands before anyone else, so I basically just sat down and waited for everyone to arrive. Yuna and Lulu were next, followed by Wakka, Rikku, and Auron, and then finally Tidus. I tried to make eye contact with him. He was still lost in another world.

"Marching? Is that what you said you were doing?" Wakka asked me, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, it's what I did back home. I played in our school's band and we marched and performed shows," I explained, smiling.

"Sounds tough, ya?"

"Sometimes."

He smiled, and I returned it gratefully, then looked around.

"Hey, who's that?" I asked as a man in long robes walked toward us. Wakka shook his head. "Looks like a religious member...here we go again..."

}{}{}{

"Father Zuke!" Lulu exclaimed joyfully as the older man walked toward them.

"Long time no see," he returned in a strained voice. He then saw Yuna standing beside Lulu, confused. "You are Yuna?" he asked. When she nodded, he let out a small hum of curiousity. "You certainly don't look like Maester Kinoc's murderer."

"What'd you say?" Wakka gasped, walking over with Dylan. Yuna, however, quickly stepped in front of him, clearing her throat.

"Please, tell us what has happened!" she begged him, a little afraid of what she might hear.

"Maester Mika just issured a personal order, you know," Zuke explained. "It said that you and your guardians murdered Maester Kinoc and fled. We are to kill you on sight, or so it says."

"What of Bevelle?" Auron asked, emotionless and impossible to read.

"Things are calm on the surface, but the depths are turbulent. After the death of Maester Kinoc, Kelk Ronso left Yevon."

"Convenient," Auron muttered. "Getting around will be easier with Yevon in disarray."

"But be careful, my friends," Zuke warned them. "You have been branded enemies of Yevon. You should avoid temples for the time being."

"Thank you, Father Zuke, for your warning," Yuna said, bowing. Tidus noticed her bows were no longer of the "Praise to Yevon" variety. So...she no longer had faith...?

"Father, you came all the way here just to tell us this?" Lulu asked, aghast.

"To tell the truth, I was a little curious to see...this summoner you are guarding. I hope her pilgrimage goes well. For your sake, too."

"Thank you, Father," Lulu said, bowing her head in admiration.

"I must be off. I shall pray for all of you."

Father Zuke and Yuna bowed to each other...but Zuke bowed in the formal way...and Yuna just..._bowed_. This bothered Tidus just a little. Maybe the things he told Yuna last night had affected her _too_ much... Even Lulu bowed formally.

"Who was that?" Tidus asked Lulu after Zuke had left and the party and wandered off their separate ways.

"Until half a year ago, he was a summoner. Wakka and I were his guardians," Lulu explained.

"It was kind of a short pilgrimage," Wakka jumped in, eavesdropping.

"He gave up halfway. Here, on this plain. Now he is a monk at Bevelle temple." Lulu paused for a moment, then continued. "This is my third pilgrimage as a guardian. Father Zuke was my second, and my first, well... It ended here, too. I've never been to the lands beyond." She smiled a bit. "Dylan is probably more helpful than me now."

Tidus smirked, then glanced at his friend, who was conversing animatedly with Rikku and Yuna. Every once and a while they'd laugh together. It made him happy.

Though he couldn't say for sure what about that made him happy, whether it was the people, their laughter...but it brought a tingly, joyful feeling to his heart every time.

}{}{}{

"Ow, my stomach hurts from laughing," I said, grinning. "I'm going to go explore. Be back soon."

Rikku and Yuna nodded understandingly, knowing I was going to look for goodies. And they were half right.

I wanted to walk in order to think. And this time, I would _not_ be following any butterflies.

I had just had a wonderfully funny conversation with Rikku and Yuna. Yuna seemed fine, despite the slight change in action back at the entrance to the Calm Lands. I still wondered what that meant.

I wondered if I had really changed anything in this storyline. Really, I was trying to lie low as much as possible. I didn't want to screw anything up, because-as much as I truly despised her sometimes-I didn't want Yuna to die.

Then again...

There was no way in hell I would just let Tidus die. There had to be a way to save him. There just had to be...

I wished Emi was there so I could've hounded her about it. She was clever...moreso than me, and I knew she would've thought of something eventually. But that was a distant dream, and I knew it wasn't going to happen...ever.

I suddenly stopped, gasping for joy.

"CHOCOBO!" I cried, running toward the giant yellow bird. It screeched and ran off. "Noo, come back! I want to hug you!"

}{}{}{

"She's not stopping, is she?" Rikku asked Tidus quietly, her eyes swimming with unshed tears.

"Yuna...she's made her decision," he replied sadly.

"But, I can't just let her go," Rikku insisted.

"We won't have to. We'll save Yuna even if she calls the Final Aeon."

"But how?" Rikku put a hand on her hip. She refused to let this end badly...but she had no answers.

"I'll think of a way," Tidus assured her, folding his arms across his chest.

"But what if you _can't_?"

"I'm tired of talking to you," Tidus said suddenly. "It's always 'but' this, 'but' that."

"But..." Rikku scratched her cheek, embarrassed. But she couldn't help being doubting...she cared a lot for her cousin, and she would've felt so responsible if Yuna was dying.

"Let's think together! Dylan can help us, too!"

"Okay." She liked that idea.

"And, if we can't think of something...we find another way!"

"Okay!"

Just then, Dylan ran over, her face red.

"Hey," she panted, bending over a little.

"What were you doing?" Rikku asked her.

"Chasing a chocobo," she replied, grinning and standing upright once more. "But I couldn't catch it, so I gave up." She shrugged, sighing. "It was probably scared of me. Hah."

"So what are you guys doing?" she added.

"Trying to think of a way to keep Yuna from dying," Tidus replied. She looked at him.

"No surprise there," she teased. "But understandable."

"Can you tell us anything?" he asked her. She paused, thinking hard.

"Well..." She debated on telling him anything, still being a bit upset. Though, she reasoned with herself, it wasn't _entirely_ his fault. _But it mostly was_.

"No," she finally answered, shaking her head. "But we'll find a way, if that helps."

"I guess," Tidus said, sighing. Rikku pouted a little. Dylan was not acting herself lately. She longed to know why.

"Sorry," Dylan said, and she walked away without another word.

"We'll be leaving soon," Rikku sighed, and she walked away, too.

Tidus stood there alone, confused. Why did he suddenly feel like he was missing something here?

}{}{}{

"Halt!" a voice snapped at us as the eight of us sprinted across a bridge toward Mount Gagazet. Even though I think everyone knew it was trouble, we stopped anyway. After all, Father Zuke's appearance was a surprise.

But no one was surprised when a couple of Guado walked out. Business as usual, it seemed.

"Summons from Lord Seymour! Come with us," one ordered us.

"We have nothing to discuss with Maester Seymour!" Yuna said in an authoritative tone, stepping forward. The rest of us surrounded her defensively.

"Yeah, so out of our way!" Tidus growled. Wakka shook a fist at them.

"Lord Seymour's commands must be obeyed. You will come!"

"I warn you," the second Guado added, "the maester doesn't need you alive."

Suddenly the ground shook beneath our feet, and a large robotic monster appeared. The two Guado fled immediately.

"Oh come on! This is it?" I sighed, walking toward it. "Puh. Leez."

In just a few swift hits, I managed to dismantle the entire thing, and it collapsed, bursting into pyreflies.

"C'mon, no more wasting time," I said, glancing at Rikku and Tidus. They nodded quickly. They knew we had to continue.


	17. Chapter 17: Traitorous Dealings

Chapter 17: Traitorous Dealings (Song: youtube - watch?v=bD-qJH2h9Sw)

FLASHBACK START

"I can't stand it anymore!" Trisha sobbed into her hands, shaking. "I can't let her keep hurting me like this!"

Dylan and Emi glanced at each other, then back at Trisha. They had told her numerous times that Kelly was a good-for-nothing heart stealer, and that she only thrived off of other people's pain. Trisha just kept letting Kelly get away with it, but in the end, it came back around to bite her in the butt.

"He's just a boy," Dylan reminded her pointedly.

"But he was _mine_!" Trisha insisted.

"Point," Emi said, "but Dylan is also right. There will be others. The thing you need to learn here is not to let people like Kelly take advantage of your feelings."

"Uh-huh," Dylan agreed, nodding. "We're just eighth-graders, after all. There'll be plenty of fish in the sea."

Trisha frowned, lowering her head.

"But he was special...something worth fighting for..." She raised her head slightly. "Don't you understand...?"

FLASHBACK END

*It's too quiet,* Tidus thought as the group closed in on the front gates of the sacred Mount Gagazet. *I wonder if anyone else feels the same way...* If it had been anybody, he would've guessed Lulu.

As if in reply, Kimahri suddenly stopped, standing completely still. Dylan, who was walking in front of Kimahri, stopped as well, feeling the prescense behind her doing the same.

Kimahri lifted his head, and in an instant, something pounced on him. Or, at least, attempted to. Kimahri nimbly stepped aside as Biran dropped beside him, his eyes more menacing than ever. Behind him was the approaching Kelk Ronso.

"Summoner Yuna and guardians, leave here at once!" he commanded in a low growl.

Suddenly, the entire party was surrounded by strong warrior Ronso, all standing upon rocks, their hateful eyes boring into them.

"Gagazet is Ronso land, sacred mountain of Yevon," Kelk said, trying again. "The mountain will not bear the footsteps of infidels!"

"Enemy of Yevon is enemy of Ronso!" Biran added, a little more to-the-point. "Leave, traitors!"

"I have cast aside Yevon!" Yuna exclaimed, shaking her head. She sounded a bit breathless. "I follow the temple no more!"

"Then you will die by those words!" Kelk declared.

"So be it," Yuna said, getting her strength back. "Yevon has warped the teachings and betrayed us all!"

"Nothing but a bunch of low-down tricksters, eh?" Wakka said.

"Yeah! Yeah!" Tidus cried, punching his fist in the air.

"Yeah! Yeah!" Rikku echoed, doing the same. Dylan considered following suit, but twice was obnoxious enough to get the point across.

"We have no regrets," Yuna stated, summing everything up in one four-word sentence.

"Blasphemers!" Yenke shouted, right behind Biran. They both looked ready to kill. Luckily, Kimahri ran forward and stood right up in Biran's face, unafraid, unshaken.

"A summoners and her guardians..." Kelk thought out loud. Yuna's words and resolve had moved him.

"Lord Kelk Ronso, if I may," Lulu interrupted. "Have you not also turned your back on Bevelle?"

"But still, you guard Gagazet as a Ronso, not a maester," Auron agreed. They were very correct in saying such things. "Yuna is much the same."

"Elder Kelk!" Biran cried, looking over his shoulder at the former maester, who was obviously considering what he had just heard. "Let Biran rend them asunder!" He spoke right at Kimahri, who had not moved.

"No escape! Not one!" Yenke added with a laugh.

"No, we will not flee," Yuna assured the two Ronso. "We will fight, and continue on."

"You have been branded a traitor, but still you would fight Sin?" Kelk asked in awe. "Lost to the temple, hated the people, yet you continue your pilgrimage? Everything lost! What do you fight for?"

"I fight for Spira," Yuna replied after a short pause. "The people long for the Calm. I can give it to them. It's all I can give. Defeating Sin, ending pain...this I can do."

When she finished, Kelk Ronso lowered his head, shaking it slowly. Tidus thought for a moment that Kelk would try to stop them again, but this was not the case at all. There was understanding in his steely green eyes.

"Even sacrificing yourself?" Kelk asked. He then slowly turned to his people, calling out to them, "Ronso, let them pass! Summoner Yuna," he turned back around to address her, "your will is stronger than steel. Tempered steel that even the mightiest Ronso could not hope to bend. Yuna, we bow to your will! Now go! The sacred heights of Gagazet welcome you."

Wakka suddenly hi-fived Tidus in celebration. Nothing really could stop them after all.

"We thank you," Yuna said calmly, but she couldn't hide the smile on her face as she bowed.

}{}{}{

We hadn't been walking for very long when we were interrupted again. So far, the mountain hadn't been too difficult to navigate... I was just a little nervous about after this battle with Biran and Yenke.

"Halt!" the voice of Biran cried. We all obeyed it willingly. I wanted to sit down; I was so tired. My brain was throbbing with an overload of thoughts.

"Haven't you bothered us enough?" Tidus complained as Biran and Yenke appeared.

"Summoner may pass," Biran said. "Guardians may pass. Kimahri _not_ pass! Kimahri shame Ronso brothers. Kimahri forget his birth."

"Forget his people, forget his mountain," Yenke continued. He was such an echo of Biran. "Little Ronso! Weakling Ronso!"

"Mountain hate the weak, hate the small. If you will climb..."

"Then I must prove my strength!" Kimahri finished angrily. He was most definitely ready for a throwdown, and quite frankly, I was ready to watch it.

"Think you will win?" Biran asked tauntingly. Personally, I thought their voices were annoying, but to Kimahri it probably sounded normal. "You not forget who took your horn! Never forget!"

"Kimahri never beat brother Biran! Never win!" Yenke cried.

Brother...

I missed Addy. Just upon mentioning the term "brother," my stomach went queasy. I really could've used Addy's advice then...

"This time, I win. I will win!" Kimahri growled, stepping forward with a gleam in his eyes.

Tidus, who was in front of me, started to charge at Biran, but Kimahri swiftly held out his arm. Just that motion was strong enough to make Tidus screech to a halt.

"This some kind of Ronso thing?" he asked our Ronso friend. NO, _REALLY_?

"Kimahri problem," Kimahri replied calmly, not taking his eyes off of his brother and Yenke.

When I played the game before, I wondered if Biran was really Kimahri's blood brother. But the closer I looked at the two of them, the more possible it became that they were related _somehow_... Poor Yenke...he was probably just Kimahri's replacement.

"Get 'em, Kimahri," Rikku cheered quietly as Kimahri drew his long spear. Biran and Yenke had no weapons, but they didn't really need any. They were both easily twice as muscular as Kimahri, who was ripped enough as it was. They also were both about six inches each taller. Both could easily rely on brute strength.

"Physical strength doesn't last forever," I murmured to Kimahri. He nodded very slightly and only once.

"Oh, so _you_ can help him," Tidus teased. I was a little...shocked. I didn't know how to respond.

"I'm only kidding, geez," he quickly added. "Don't make that face."

"I knew you were kidding," I breathed, walking away to sit and watch the battle that was unfolding.

"Hey, hey! What's that attitude for?" he asked, trotting after me like a puppy. "What's wrong? Why have you been so...introverted?"

"Why does it matter?" I retorted, crossing my arms as an icy wind passed by.

"Because I care," he replied.

His response made my throat close up in defiance, making it completely impossible to say anything. Instead I diligently watched Kimahri, and so Tidus eventually gave up and walked over to the others.

*Poop sticks,* I thought, pouting. *I wish this was over.*

}{}{}{

"Strong is Kimahri," Biran panted as Kimahri stepped away, victorious. "Biran is happy." Slowly Biran rose to his feet and began to walk away, then he stopped and shouted out, his voice echoing, "Sacred Mount Gagazet! I honor the name of the warrior who defeats Biran. Remember always, Gagazet! That name is Kimahri!"

"Mountain knows Kimahri strong," Yenke said quietly. He seemed to be taking the defeat with more of a sting than Biran. "Kimahri may pass."

"Summoner!" Biran cried, and Yuna nodded, hands clasped. She was very happy for Kimahri. He could finally leave his past behind him...after all these years. "We Ronso will stop pursuers from temple."

"Truly?" she murmured, a bit surprised.

"Penance for breaking Kimahri's horn, long ago," Biran explained, and Yuna understood what he meant.

"We crush enemies following behind," Yenke agreed, enthusiastic about killing things.

"Kimahri crush enemies standing before," Kimahri said, arms folded across his chest. He seemed to not even act like anything had ever been different between him and Biran and Yenke.

"You are most fortunate summoner," Biran murmured.

"I thank you," Yuna said, bowing quickly.

"Ronso will shine your statue brightest," Yenke declared as Biran began to walk away.

"Thank you," Yuna said again, with a little less conviction this time around. "But I fear that no one will make a statue for a traitor such as I am."

"Then Ronso will make!" Biran exclaimed, looking over his shoulder at the group.

"With grand horn on head!" Yenke added.

"That...would be wonderful," she said with a smile, trying to picture herself with a giant Ronso horn on her forehead. The thought made her want to laugh.

Biran and Yenke finally disappeared, and after making sure Kimahri was alright and that they had plenty of supplies, the party proceeded in silence. They didn't get very far, however.

"Summoner Yuna!" Biran cried out from a cliff right next to where they had just been conversing. Yuna was a bit worried, seeing him again this soon. Perhaps they had changed their minds? Or maybe they had found enemies?

"What is it this time?" Tidus shouted, irritated.

No...it was none of the things Yuna thought it might've been. In fact, it was the last thing she expected.

Biran began to sing the Hymn of the Fayth, and soon Yenke joined him. Ronso began to peek out from hiding places and sang as well, straight to the summoner. It seemed that every Ronso on the mountain had stopped in their tracks to sing. And they were definitely singing for her. Yuna was, to say the least, touched.

She bowed a little before motioning to her friends. It was time to continue on.

}{}{}{

The bitter cold was fitting. Despite our warm farewell from the Ronso, I couldn't escape my thoughts. They rushed at me faster than any of the stupid fiends we killed.

*He's going to die. There's nothing I can do.*

He was going to die. There was nothing I could've done. It was, unfortunately, unstoppable.

I didn't know how badly my horrible thoughts were written on my face. Nobody said anything at the time, so either I was hiding it well, or they thought it best to leave me be. Still, their silence was discomforting, and I wished I could tell someone. But Rikku, who was the only possible candidate at the time, was already preoccupied with preventing Yuna's death, so there was no hope of getting her away from that. Not that I really wanted to or anything, since that was a "concern" of mine, too.

Finally, our group reached the end of the long, winding path we'd been traveling on. We stopped for a moment to rest, but I was antsy and didn't want to stop. Another battle with Seymour was just ahead and then...well. At least then I wouldn't be the only one besides Auron to know his fate.

"Let's go," Auron commanded us, and we continued to trudge up the mountain.

Soon we faced an open cliffside. Tidus and Rikku slowed down, and eyed me, so I slowed down too...though I knew the following conversation a little too well from having to fight and refight Seymour after dying over and over...

"Zanarkand is on the other side, you know?" Rikku whispered, her back to us. Tidus hung his head low.

"I know," he said quietly.

"Yunie is gonna get the Final Aeon, you know?" Rikku added, turning to us. I nodded slowly.

"I know," Tidus repeated.

"I still haven't thought of anything," Rikku admitted, glancing at me.

"Me neither," Tidus said, doing the same.

"I wasn't lying," I said, a little miffed that they'd suspect me of doing something that terribly cruel. "You're going to find a way. Promise."

"We just don't know enough yet, right?" Tidus asked me, and I nodded. He continued, "Until we do, we really can't help Yuna. Let's go to Zanarkand. We'll find something there. It'll all come together! I know it!"

"Hey..." Rikku tapped the side of her chin, smiling. "Just now you sounded like a leader, you know?"

"Star of the Zanarkand Abes! Didn't anyone tell you?" Tidus looked proud.

"Like _that _means anything," I pointed out, grinning at Rikku, who giggled back. It was the first time I'd smiled all day.

Tidus, in a huff, stormed off.

"Whoa!" Rikku and I cried as Seymour appeared. Tidus stopped in his tracks and spun around to face the monsterous man.

"Ah, the son of Jecht," Seymour said, his lips curling in a way that reminded me of the Grinch.

"You guys, run ahead and tell Auron!" Tidus commanded us. Rikku stomped her foot slightly.

"You are not fighting him alone!" she cried, and I nodded in agreement. He was just being stupid.

"Just go! Go!"

"I'll stay here," I mouthed to her, and she nodded, sprinting off. Tightening my gloves, I glared at Seymour. Two more times, and he would be nothing.

"Now is your time to die," Seymour stated, then looked at Tidus. "Prepare yourself, son of Jecht."

"Not if I can help it!" Tidus shouted, and I couldn't help but want to shout it for him.

"Save some for Kimahri!"

Luckily, our friends hadn't gotten too far ahead, and soon they ran out to join us, Kimahri and Rikku in the lead.

"Lady Yuna, it is a pleasure," Seymour said as Yuna approached the front of the pack.

"Yuna!" Lulu said, and she nodded once, beginning to send him. I always wondered why she didn't just go ahead and do it. What was stopping her?

"A sending, so soon?" Seymour hissed in mock disapproval. "Allow me to say something to the last Ronso before I leave. Yours was...truly a gallant race. They threw themselves at me to bar my path. One...after another..." Seymour raised his fist, then brought it down with a high-pitched chuckle as if to say, "And I eliminated one after another as well."

"No..." Kimahri growled.

"Kimahri..." Yuna said compassionately.

"You could end the suffering of this poor Ronso."

"Oh, here we go again..." I muttered, slumping over.

"I don't understand you!" Yuna cried in disgust.

"Allow Kimahri to die, and release him from his pain," Seymour explained needlessly, walking to the cliff's edge. He gestured out over the endless sky. "Spira...is a land of suffering and sorrow caught in a spiral of death. To destroy-to heal-Spira, I will become Sin. Yes, with your help." He walked quickly toward Yuna, and her eyes grew wider. "Come with me, Yuna."

Suddenly Tidus slipped in front of Yuna, blocking Seymour from her. His sword was bared, ready to take this guy out. I was with him.

"Once I have become the next Sin, your father will be freed again," Seymour told him.

Tidus growled, then shouted, "What do you know?" He ran at Seymour, but behind the maester a large machine-like object appeared.

"Pitiful mortal," Seymour said, floating up and into the cockpit of the machina. "Your hope ends here. And your meaningless existence with it."


	18. Chapter 18: Morning Glow, Mark 1

Chapter 18: Morning Glow, Mark 1 (Song: youtube - watch?v=PvEVbGlgtmo)

FLASHBACK START

"Goooood moooorning, Brooownsburg!" came the familiar voice over Dylan's old truck radio. Her friends Bryan and Nathan, both freshmen in drumline, had started their own local teen radio talk show called, "To the Beat of a Different Drum." Appropriate. Anyway, her senior year hadn't even started, and yet this was making it perfect.

"Today on our show, we will be talking about-" There was a drum roll. "-Obama and his plan for-"

"NEXT!" Dylan shouted, even though she was the only one in her truck. She was headed to Walmart to stock up for band camp supplies, and her parents knew better than to go with her.

Unfortunately, there were no good songs on the radio, so Dylan switched it off. She was glad she did.

"Whoa..." she gasped, staring into the morning sky. It was very, very early, and the sun had just finished rising. There was a pale pinkish-orange glow left over. It seemed close enough to touch. She had never felt so down to earth in her whole life...

FLASHBACK END

"You have angered Kimahri," Kimahri said, pointing his spear at Seymour as the battle began. "The spirits of the Ronso will guide Kimahri's spear!"

Dylan laughed a little, and Lulu and Yuna glared at her.

"No, no, that's not what's funny," she said quickly. "This thing looks like it has a bee's butt!"

Rikku burst out laughing. "It does! You're so right!"

Lulu was the next to laugh. "Wow..."

Yuna, however, only grinned, then summoned Bahamut once more.

This aeon had proven to be their most useful in battle so far. Not only did it serve up powerful attacks, but its well-armored body provided it with excellent defense.

But even its overdrive couldn't completely destroy Seymour and his insect butt.

"This is your thanks for our last meeting," Seymour said, zapping Tidus and Dylan with a powerful attack.

"Ooof..." Dylan groaned, pushing herself off the ground. "I knew that would come back to bite us."

"More like sting us," Rikku joked, once again referring to the bee butt. Dylan giggled quietly.

"There's only one good way to kill a bug," Lulu added, casting Bio on Seymour. The poison slowly began to wear him down as the party relentlessly attacked him. Seymour was so outmatched, he could barely manage to fight back. Not to mention the armor giving him strength was absorbing his health.

Soon he and his bumblebee butt exploded into pyreflies.

"And stay up there!" Tidus shouted, shaking his fist at them.

When Tidus finally reached the rest of the group, they began to walk away, but Yuna didn't move.

"He will become Sin...with my help," Yuna echoed, sounding distant in her thoughts. Dylan could relate.

The group stopped at the sound of her voice and turned to face her.

"Lies. Forget them," Auron said quickly.

"If he becomes Sin, Sir Jecht will be saved."

"We're leaving."

"You know something! Tell me!" she shouted, then ran forward and, to Dylan's surprise, looked at Tidus. "Tell me!"

Tidus lowered his head, then murmured, "Sin's...my old man."

"You hit your head?" Wakka asked in disbelief, stepping to Tidus' side.

"Sin is my old man," Tidus repeated more confidently. "My old man became Sin! I don't know how or why he did it." He finally lifted his head, but still refused eye contact with anyone. "I felt him, inside. And when I did, I knew it was true. My old man is Spira's suffering." But just as easily as before, his head drooped again. "Sorry."

"Even...knowing that Sin is your father..." Yuna couldn't find the right words, and she shook her head slowly. "Still, you know, I must..."

"I know." Tidus didn't even look at her. "Let's get him. I think my old man would want that."

"You'd fight your own father?" Lulu asked, also in disbelief. The only calm ones were Dylan and Auron, who stood at the back of the cluster as to avoid questioning.

"Yeah. No problem there." Tidus finally lifted his head; it seemed the storm had blown over quite easily.

"Uh... 'Bout your old man..." Wakka scratched his head in uncertainty. "You sure this ain't some kinda bad toxin dream or something? Then, Chappu..." He lowered his head, then straightened up quickly and turned away. "I, uh... I think I'll just pretend I didn't hear nothing. I'm getting a little confused, ya? Why... Why'd all this have to happen?"

"We'll learn when we arrive," Auron finally replied. "Soon."

}{}{}{

And it was soon...sooner than I wanted it to be...

"Wow!" Yuna gasped, her eyes wide. I couldn't look away either. The large fayth was glowing, and it looked like people were trapped in the rock. A large pillar of water was opposite that; it towered in the sky, endlessly reaching up. I had the sudden urge to jump in and hope it carried me away... I did _not_ want to be there...

"Wh-What are those?" Wakka stammered, not knowing where to look first.

"Those are fayth," Yuna replied in awe. She walked over to one and gasped again. "A summoning! Someone is using these fayth! Someone is drawing energy from all of them!"

"This many?" Rikku asked.

"Who wields power on this scale, and what could they be calling?" Lulu added. She sounded both awestruck and skeptical.

"Hey, you know something, don't you?" Rikku said, running to Auron. I wanted to laugh; he was in my place now, too! "Spill the beans!"

"Look not to others for knowledge. This is your journey, too," Auron answered, walking right past her.

"Yunie might die, you know?" she called after him.

"No... Auron's right," Tidus said suddenly. He walked closer to the fayth nearby me. "This is our... This is my story."

Without any hesitation, Tidus reached up to touch the fayth, then suddenly, with a gasp, he collapsed, falling right into my arms.

"Ugh!" I cried, falling back on my butt, holding his lifeless body. "Hey! Tidus!" I shook his shoulders roughly, but he wouldn't move. *Ah, no...*

Placing him gently on his back, I stepped away as everyone else rushed forward in concern.

"What's gotten into you? Hey!" Wakka shouted.

"Wake up!" Rikku chanted over and over, knelt at his side.

"It's no use," I wanted to say, but my throat had closed up. There couldn't have been anything more official. Tidus was really going to die.

I sprinted off down the path ahead, tears streaming down my cheeks. I wanted to scream as loud as I could, but I knew I was loud, and I knew they would've heard me. So instead I just collapsed on the ground and sobbed into the dirt.

}{}{}{

"Eh?" was the only thing Tidus could manage to say at first. As Dylan's face faded from his mind, a new surrounding replaced it: a boathouse.

Thinking it might be best to take a look around, Tidus stumbled to his feet and walked around, looking for anybody at all. His search dragged on and led him into the indoor part of the boat he was on. Everything was exactly as he remembered, but what was he remembering, exactly?

"Welcome home," a young voice said.

Tidus saw the young boy and stepped toward him. He was surrounded by pyreflies, and for good reason.

"You..."

"Remember me? We met in Bevelle," the boy Fayth said.

"Yeah." Tidus nodded.

"But that wasn't the first time we met. I've known about you for a long time. A long, long time."

"I...I feel like I know you, too." Tidus felt like a creep saying that. "Where are we?"

"Silly, don't recognize your own home?" the Fayth asked with a giggle.

Before Tidus could ask any questions, the Fayth disappeared, and Wakka and Rikku appeared in his living room.

"What's gotten into you? Hey!"

"Wake up! Wake up!"

Tidus crossed his arms in deep thought, then said out loud, "Wait...this is a dream."

"Precisely," the Fayth agreed, running into view.

"A dream? Are you crazy?" Tidus snapped. "I don't have time to be dreaming now!"

"You're wrong." The Fayth shook his head. "It's not that you're dreaming. You are a dream."

"Huh? Wait a sec."

But the Fayth ran back up the stairs to the deck of the boat. Tidus willingly chased after him, wanting answers.

"Long ago, there was a war," the Fayth started when Tidus reached him. They gazed over the side of the boat at the lit-up city of Zanarkand.

"Yeah, with machina, right?" Tidus said. He felt a little more informed already.

"Yes," the Fayth replied. "A war between Zanarkand and Bevelle. Bevelle's machina assured their victory from the start. Spira had never seen such power. The summoners of Zanarkand didn't stand a chance. Zanarkand was doomed to oblivion. That's why we tried to save it-if only in a memory."

"What did you do?" Tidus asked cautiously, afraid to hear the answer. The boy Fayth turned to him, and Tidus sat on the deck, ready to listen.

"The remaining summoners and the townspeople that survived the war... They all became fayth-fayth for the summoning."

"The summoning... You mean Sin?"

"No. I mean this place. A Zanarkand that never sleeps."

"What?" Tidus really didn't understand...or maybe he just was resisting understanding.

"The dreams of the fayth summoned the memories of the city," the Fayth explained. "They summoned all the buildings, all the people who lived there."

"The people... What, they're all dreams?" Tidus got to his feet quickly, his heart pounding in realization. "Me, too?"

The Fayth nodded, then ran past him and looked out over the dark night sky. Tidus eagerly followed.

"Yes, you're a dream of the fayth. You, your father, your mother, everyone. All dreams. And if the fayth stop dreaming..."

There was a brilliant flash of light, and then, when the light faded, all that was left was the little houseboat. There was no shining city of Zanarkand to gaze upon. Just the endless sea and sky.

Tidus paced ahead a bit. "No! So what if I'm a dream! I...I like being here."

"We've been dreaming so long...we're tired," the Fayth said honestly. Suddenly he disappeared, and Tidus ran back to where he'd been standing. But the Fayth only reappeared where Tidus had just been. "Would you and your father... Would you let us rest? Both you and your father have been touched by Sin. Sin, the one whom all Spira-the spiral-revolves." Once again, the Fayth disappeared.

"What are you saying?" Tidus gasped, running back down. It seemed the Fayth had left for good, but then, in the distance, Tidus could see it standing there.

"You two are more than just dreams now," it said.

Wake up!" came a familiar cry. Tidus whipped around to see Yuna's figure there. "Wake up, please!"

"Just a little more, and maybe..." Yuna's body faded away as the Fayth spoke. "Maybe you are the dream that will end our dreaming at last." Tidus shook his head quickly.

*It's just a dream,* he told himself. But it didn't seem right to say that. *_I'm_ just a dream!*

All of a sudden, another bright light blinded Tidus, and when his vision returned, he was back on Mount Gagazet with all of his friends. He jumped to his feet quickly, startling Wakka.

Boy, did he feel aged...

"Are you all right?" Yuna asked him, standing as well.

"Hey! We were so worried about you!" Rikku added as Tidus plopped back down.

"You okay?" Lulu asked.

"I...I'm okay," he replied.

"What happened?" Yuna asked, crouching next to him.

"Nothing... I blacked out. I was dreaming. You called me...and I woke up." Tidus stood once more and stretched. "Nothing like a good nap! Well, I'm ready. Let's go."

"Wait, where'd Dylan go?" Rikku asked suddenly.

"Here I am," came a familiar voice.

Dylan walked forward, her cheeks flushed and her hair dripping wet.

"Sorry. I..." She paused, then smiled. "I open up some underwater stuff so we can walk on dry land." She then glanced at Tidus. "You okay? That was scary."

"Yeah..." he said quietly, looking at her. He couldn't help but feel a little...suspicious.

"'Kay, cool, then let's go."

}{}{}{

I really _did_ complete those trials... Good stuff. Great distraction from what was staring me in the face every time I looked at Tidus. I couldn't even look at him, literally. Poor guy probably thought he did something wrong...

"They'll be upon us soon," I heard Auron say when we reached the summit. "She has sent fiends to test our summoner's strength."

"Who is 'she'?" Yuna asked.

"Yunalesca," I mouthed as Auron replied. Luckily I got no strange looks, since I was behind everyone else, and my back was to Yuna and Auron.

"Lady Yunalesca?" Yuna said in awe as I secretly mocked her.

"In Zanarkand, she awaits the arrival of the strongest."

*Are we the strongest?* I wondered as I continued on.

*Well, whatever. It doesn't matter. We'll defeat her because I'm their secret weapon who knows everything.*

For a moment, I glanced at Tidus, and his gaze caught mine. He looked like he was going to say something, but I quickly looked away.

*I wish I didn't know everything...*

The usually epic battle with Sanctuary Keeper was just a blink of an eye in the time I had left here. The scene following? The same. But the blinks were coming by quickly, and there was nothing I could've done to avoid the heart-breaking truth.

Not only would Tidus die, but I would leave these people and this place.

Oh...how to say goodbye...?

}{}{}{

"Sir Auron. Kimahri told me...when my father wanted me taken from Bevelle to Besaid... It was you who told Kimahri, right? I had always wanted to meet you someday. I am truly glad that I had that chance. Having you as a guardian was so great an honor that I don't know how to thank you. Perhaps if I defeat Sin, that will be my thanks to you. That's what I'll do. Yes. I will challenge Sin. I will defeat Sin. If you are all there watching this, then I guess Sin is already gone. And so am I, I suppose. Anyway, I just wanted to say: Sir Auron, I thank you.

"Kimahri... Do you remember the first day we met? I was only seven. My father had defeated Sin, and all Bevelle was celebrating. Everyone was saying what a hero my father was. I was so happy. But when night came, it occurred to me. My father had defeated Sin and now he was dead. Now, I was all alone. I couldn't sleep, so I wandered into the town, away from the celebrating crowds. I stood on the bridge to Bevelle where my father and I had parted. Standing there, alone, I could see the fiends where he had fought Sin. Then, you appeared, Kimahri. You said you were looking for the daughter of Braska, remember? At first, I was so scared. Until I realized what a gentle person you are. You weren't used to talking to children. When I told you that I was Braska's daughter...you said you would take me as far from Bevelle as you could. That it was the wish of a man facing death. I think...I cried then. Because that...that was when I knew my father was dead...and I would never see him again. You just held me, without saying a word. I cried after we got to Besaid, too. When you tried to go after leaving me in the care of the temple...I held onto you, crying, 'Don't go, don't go!' And you listened, Kimahri. You stayed. Kimahri, thank you. Thank you so much. And I've always liked your broken horn.

"Wakka, Lulu: I'll never forget my days spent with you, growing up in Besaid. We always played together, us and Chappu. That's why I was always so happy, I think. And when you refused to let me become a summoner and I did it anyway... I'm sorry. I've always wanted to apologize. You know, when you tried to stop me then-really, I was happy. I could tell you really cared about me. You were like my big brother and sister. No... I think you really were my big brother and sister. What else... I love watching you play blitzball, Wakka. I even love it when you scold me, Lulu! Really!

"I guess that leaves...the newest guardian. Star player of the Zanarkand Abes! You are... I am... Well, um... I'm glad...I'm glad that we met. We haven't even known each other that long, but... It's funny. So this is what it feels like. It's a much more wonderful feeling than anything I had ever imagined. Wonderful...but it hurts, sometimes. I wonder. I...I just want to say, thank you for everything. Maybe...maybe that's why it hurts. When I... When I think about us never being together again at all... I'm afraid. No, I shouldn't say that. I'll do that part over. Um..."


	19. Chapter 19: This is Our Story

Chapter 19: This is Our Story (Song: youtube - watch?v=_jQsBvHMXoE)

FLASHBACK START

"Oh please oh please oh please!" Dylan, Emi, and Trisha cried as they sprinted to the band room's bulletin board. "Sec-tion lea-ders" became their quiet chant as they slowly reached the mass of students.

"Yes!" Dylan cried, pumping her fist in the air.

"Yes!" Emi cried, dancing in a circle.

They waited for the third "yes!", but it never came. Trisha stood there, mouth agape, staring at the list of section leaders and drum majors.

"No..." she mouthed, her eyes swimming with tears.

"What? Did he not give it to you?" Emi cried, worried.

"...Just kidding!" Trisha replied, laughing. Dylan and Emi growled. "Wow, I got you guys pretty good with that." She grinned.

"Well, I'm relieved," Emi said.

"I'm pissed," Dylan said, pouting. "You suck."

"And you blow. But think about it!" Trisha grinned ever brighter. "Can you say, 'best senior year in history'?"

FLASHBACK END

"Let's rest here," Yuna suggested when we reached the entrance to Zanarkand. "We will need our strength."

"Well said, Yuna," Auron agreed, sitting down.

"You only say that because she sounds like you," I teased him, smiling as I sat next to him. His mouth didn't move, but his eyes were smiling instead, peering over the tops of his glasses. *You understand, don't you?*

"I'll start a fire," Lulu said.

"I'll help," Rikku said. The two of them wandered off.

Yuna sighed, looking out over the orange sky. Slowly, she placed her staff in the ground. Tidus smiled and did the same with his sword. Wakka also placed his blitzball there. It was a picture I had seen oh so many times before, and yet it was still touching. It was never going to be the same...

As Lulu and Rikku started the fire, Auron and I sat in silence, watching the pyreflies dance about. In the distance, Yuna, Tidus, and Wakka were talking about something. Kimahri just stood in silence, as usual.

"Are you afraid?" Auron suddenly asked me.

"Hnn?" I turned my head to look at him, my knees at my chest.

"Are you afraid to leave here?" he repeated quietly.

"...Yeah, I really am..." I answered, my throat constricting at the thought. "Aren't you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, you. You don't belong here either. Just like Tidus."

"Well...I guess I admit...I am a little...concerned." He shrugged a little. "But this is just the final chapter of my story. This is how it must end."

"I hate that you say that," I said quietly, turning away.

"It's your story, too. Who says yours will be over when you leave here?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, turning back to him.

"Just that. This isn't your ending. It's mine, and it's his." He nodded at Tidus.

"Not if I can help it," I whispered to myself. Auron hummed a low noise, but I wasn't sure if he had really heard me, or just had guessed my thoughts. I hoped for neither.

"Do you mind?"

"Huh?"

I looked up to see Yuna smiling down at me. "May I sit here?" she asked.

"Sure, knock yourself out," I replied, smiling back. *Oh, if only you knew, too...*

Tidus, of course, sat beside her, and Kimahri sat by him, Rikku by him, Lulu by her, Wakka by her, and our circle of fellowship was completed that simply. It was quiet for a while as we all just stared at the fire.

And then, Tidus got up, and placing a hand on Yuna's shoulder, walked up the hill next to us.

"Listen to my story," he said after a few moments of stillness. "This may be our last chance."

Everyone but me lifted their heads to look at Tidus as he walked back down the hill.

The story started just like I remembered from the game. The only parts that were different were the parts with me in them, which I totally expected-for example, I had to remind him of the time I kicked his butt when I first met him...

But...before I knew it, it was nightfall, and the story was over. Or maybe I fell asleep halfway through, because I can't remember him talking about Bevelle or anything...

"That's it, isn't it?" I murmured, surpressing a yawn.

"Hey! There was more, right?" Tidus cried, still standing. "I mean like that time...uh... Anyone?"

"I think..." Yuna started suddenly, standing as well.

"Yes?"

"I think that we should stop...maybe. For now."

}{}{}{

The next morning, the group rose so early that the sun hadn't even showed up yet. They were all anxious to finish their journey, except Dylan, who was just anxious for the end.

Yuna pulled her staff out of the ground as her friends armed themselves-and also put out the campfire.

"Let's go," she said, and they hurried on.

Tidus was the last to get ready, but he was the first at the entrance of Zanarkand's ruins. He couldn't believe that this was once where he made his dwelling...but then he remembered that was thousands of years ago, so then it made more sense.

"Looks like the Farplane," Wakka said when he caught up to Tidus. Those words made his stomach churn. The reality was sickening.

"Close enough," Auron stated. Even more churning. Auron would know...he was an unsent, too! Just another dream! What horrible knowledge he had obtained yesterday...and the constant flutter of pyreflies wasn't helping. It was simply another reminder of his fate.

Slowly, Tidus continued on his way, every action feeling half-hearted and slow. Everyone seemed quieter than usual, even Dylan, whose sarcasm and wit seemed to have left after their escape to Macalania Woods.

"Isn't this nostalgic?" he could imagine her teasing him. He shook his head, dismissing the thought.

But if she had said that, she would've been right on. This was most definitely a walk down memory lane.

By far, though, the worst part was when they reached the entrance to what used to be a blitzball stadium.

Tidus tried desparately to catch Yuna's gaze, but she wouldn't (couldn't) look at him. His promises to her meant nothing. He couldn't even worry about her anymore...now he was worried about himself!

"Journeyer of the long road, name yourself," an elderly man called out when they reached the stadium's main gate.

"I am the summoner Yuna," Yuna stated. "I have come from the island of Besaid."

"Your eyes, my dear. Show me the long road you have travelled." The man gazed deeply into Yuna's eyes before his wrinkles creased into a smile. "Very good. You have journeyed well. Lady Yunalesca will surely welcome your arrival. Go to her now, and bring your guardians with you. Go."

The old man walked away, past them, and the group ran on. Had they stayed a moment or two longer, they would've seen the man dissolve into pyreflies...but this was not the end of the illusions.

}{}{}{

I could tell everyone was tense and nervous. I wasn't, actually. I knew exactly what to do, and exactly where to go. It was my feelings that threw me off. I was nervous for completely different reasons.

Part of me wanted to go home so badly. To forget this ever happened, wake up at home, go to karate, hang out at Starbucks, and be normal.

Another part of me wanted to just die. I had never felt so lost in my whole life... I was completely torn between home and Spira. Spira was home to me now as well.

Another part of me wanted to just confess everything I felt. It probably would've been really awkward had I done that, but it probably would've felt good anyway.

But the part I listened to was my anger and frustration. Luckily, I could take it all out on fiend after fiend, and as my body grew stronger, my mind became clearer.

I knew I couldn't rewind or forget any of those moments. I just had to continue, to keep going. But I couldn't help but ask..."Why me?"

All these rushing thoughts were interrupted when we passed through the old stadium and saw more ghosts of the past.

"If it might benefit the future of Spira, I will gladly give my life," an armed guardian said bravely. "It is the highest honor for which a guardian might ask. Use my life, Lady Yocun, and rid Spira of Sin."

In a flash, the spectors poofed into pyreflies right in Rikku's face, who trembled.

"What...what was that?" she whimpered, looking around.

"Our predecessors," Auron stated calmly.

"She said 'Lady Yocun,' didn't she?" Lulu asked, walking toward Auron. "Wait! She guarded High Summoner Yocun?"

"This dome is filled with pyreflies. It's like one gigantic sphere." Well, we _were _in a dome... "People's thoughts remain here. Forever."

The next ghosts we came upon were also glowing with pyreflies, but the scene was a bit more...tragic.

"No! Mother, no!" a familiar child cried. "I don't want you to become a fayth!"

"There is no other way," his mother said. "Use me and defeat Sin. Only then will the people accept you."

"I don't care about them! I need you, Mother! No one else!"

My throat closed up as I glanced at Tidus, who was awestruck by the scene.

"I don't...have much time left," the mother replied. Immediately, she and her son vanished into pyreflies.

"Hey, wasn't that...?" Wakka started, dumbfounded.

"Seymour?" Rikku finished, also in awe.

"Yes," I replied.

}{}{}{

That one word was the first thing Dylan had said all day. Tidus frowned. What was wrong with his friend?

He racked his brain for solutions, relying on instincts during fights with fiends so he could dwell in his thoughts.

Dylan had started becoming quieter and quieter since the escape from Bevelle. Some of that had to be caused by the fact that Dylan felt the pressure of protecting Yuna's life without giving away the solution. He felt a bit guilty, consider the fact that he and Rikku had continually bugged her about it.

But even when she was cheerful in the Calm Lands, something was just not quite right.

And then, on Mount Gagazet, when she had snapped at him! And then ignored him...

Truth be told, Dylan definitely had an attitude. But most of the time, she used it pretty nicely, just dealing out witticisms and jokes every now and then. Now...well...it was different.

Though he did understand that she felt a ton of pressure. She knew everything.

-!

SHE KNEW EVERYTHING.

Tidus immediately felt like the biggest idiot ever. Nothing could rival this stupidity.

_Dylan knew everything_! That meant she knew the following:

a.) what happened in Macalania

b.) what would happen to Yuna

c.) what would happen to Auron

d.) what would happen to _him_!

No wonder she was overwhelmed! She was about to be separated from half of her friends!

...No...from _all_ of them!

He couldn't tell how he knew, but Dylan would not be staying in Spira after Yuna destroyed Sin.

But...surely she knew that. She would've known that from the beginning. So what changed that?

Suddenly the answer became so clear that Tidus wanted to beat himself for not realizing it earlier.

_Dylan loved him, too._

*ARGH!* he screamed in his brain. *I wish I had figured that out sooner!*

Truth be told, he had feelings for her, too. But there was also Yuna, and she got to him first, so...

So!

So Dylan knew about what he really was...she knew he would disappear. She knew they could never be together. The reality of it must've _just hit her_!

And in Macalania, too! She also knew _that _scene! She had to have known that he and Yuna would fall in love, too!

And...she was just trapped. Just like him.

He wanted to stop dead in his tracks as he jumped to fight a fiend. He wanted to stop and rewind and say, "Look, I understand you!"

But that would have to wait.


	20. Chapter 20: Dakishimetai

Chapter 20: Dakishimetai (Song: youtube - watch?v=xggY3ze7lqU)

FLASHBACK START

"Be good," Addison and Dylan said to each other at the same time. They were standing outside of Addison's new dorm room. It would be his first year of college, and Dylan's last year of high school. In other words, their first year (that mattered) when they weren't in band together.

"I'll visit," they said in unison again, then snickered.

"Okay, for real now," Addison said, grinning. "Bye!"

"Bye, Addy!"

Dylan started to walk away, as did Addison, then they stopped. Both realized that they had left out an important gesture.

Immediately they turned to each other and ran back. When they met, they kind of collided in an unintentional tackle-hug.

Dylan hadn't felt sad until that moment. It made everything a little more real.

FLASHBACK END

*You again,* Tidus thought as the specters just ahead were Braska, Auron, and Jecht. "Ah!" he gasped, frowning. Didn't this just give Auron away? To his surprise, though, no one-not even Rikku-said anything at all.

"Hey, Braska," Jecht said. Braska was standing just in front of him, his back facing him. "You don't have to do this."

"Thank you for your concern," Braska said, turning to face Jecht. But judging by the tone of his voice, Braska didn't sound too sincere. Jecht also must have picked up on it.

"Fine. I said my piece," he muttered, folding his arms across his chest.

*What'd you expect, Dad?* Tidus wanted to shout. *He's practically _done_! Good luck trying to talk him out of it _now_!*

"Well, I haven't!" the younger Auron said quickly. "Lord Braska, let us go back! I don't want to see you...die!"

"You knew this was to happen, my friend," Braska said firmly but gently. The method reminded Tidus of Yuna...

"Yes, but I...I cannot accept it," Auron mumbled, obviously ashamed of himself for speaking out.

Braska chuckled quietly. "Auron, I am honored that you care for me so. But I have come to kill grief itself. I will defeat Sin, and lift the veil of sorrow covering Spira. Please understand, Auron."

The ghosts disappeared into the distance, giving Yuna the idea that they might see them again.

That moment just then...Yuna felt so proud to have a father such as Braska. But also, deep down, she wished he had taken the words of his friends more seriously, and that maybe if he hadn't defeated Sin, she wouldn't be in this position.

But it didn't matter. It was all in the past now.

So she led the quiet group onward toward where Yunalesca would be waiting.

Tidus, kicking at every rock he saw, couldn't take it anymore. This was all so twisted. Chappu, Seymour and the Guado, blowing up Home, the Ronso...and now this three-way love triangle? The only thing that could make it even worse was if Dylan was wrong, and Yuna really were to die.

But Tidus trusted Dylan, and he figured that she was right. After all, she would say something to at least Rikku if things were changing, right?

}{}{}{

Soon we reached the stairway leading to the trials, and Jecht, Braska, and Auron were waiting for us.

"Are the Trials ahead?" Jecht asked Braska.

"Probably," Braska replied. So nonchalant for a man who was about to die.

"Here, too, huh? Gimme a break." Jecht slumped at the shoulders, a mannerism I always recognized in Tidus. "I was expecting, you know, parades and...fireworks!"

"You can ask for them after I defeat Sin."

The ghosts walked away into the trials, disappearing in a green flash.

They were there to guide us through these lands, through monsters... I only wished one of them could've guided me in my last moments in Spira.

Yuna was probably wanting the same thing right about then. Lucky girl. She'd get to stay here, at least. Although if I had asked her, she probably would've wanted to leave Spira and leave the things that made her sad...

"Okay, everyone..." said the summoner. "Um, please don't think I'm stalling, but... We are going to rest here for a while. I just want everyone to be prepared and-"

"We understand," Lulu interrupted, smiling at her. "Don't worry."

Yuna nodded, and so everyone split up. Auron sat by Yuna and Kimahri; all three of them were dead silent. Lulu and Wakka sat together as well. Tidus and Rikku were whispering to each other, obviously still trying to figure out how to save Yuna.

So I...left.

I walked back outside, to where it was strangely silent. We had wiped out all the fiends we saw, whether they were closeby or not. I guess we all hoped to strengthen ourselves as much as possible before going off to fight one more time together.

Well, whatever. It wouldn't even matter. Though...being prepared for Yunalesca was probably a good thing, considering how powerful she was.

I decided that...I really liked Zanarkand. Despite the fact that sadness kind of ruled the place, it was so peaceful and beautiful. If I have a choice, I want to go there when I die. There are people that have died that I wonder about...if I could find them there...

But there was no one I knew of at the time I stood there by myself, so I just watched all the pyreflies dance around in the brilliant night sky. I wanted to say goodbye to my friends properly; I wish I'd had a sphere to record it on then...

The easiest person to say goodbye to would've been Kimahri. I mean, the only thing I could've said was, "Thanks for not blabbing about that time in Macalania, yo." One sentence... Maybe I could've added, "You're a cool...Ronso."

And then Wakka, "Wakka, you're so cool, but I can't believe you gave up Blitzball forever. Ah, oh well." Auron, "Yeah, I am pretty sure I annoy the bejeezus out of you, but I'm sorry, and I really do think you're awesome and epic."

Lulu, "I want to be like you when I grow up. Me and Rikku both have that much more in common. And I think you're a brilliant actress. Do you remember Bevelle? Haha..." Yuna, "You're so sweet. Thank you for letting me tag along all this time. I hope I've never done anything to upset you, 'cause you've always been so nice to me."

Rikku, "Um, so I love your face and I wish I could take you home with me! You'd get along sooo well with my friends! Take care of everyone for me, I'm leaving you in charge of kicking Wakka's butt."

But for Tidus...I didn't even have any fathomable idea of what to say. I knew that was one I needed to think about. "Thanks," for sure. "I'm sorry," maybe?

Luckily for me, I knew I'd have a bit more time to think about that one.

Suddenly I heard footsteps coming my way. I didn't dare turn around. Whoever it was was either trying to be sneaky and failing, or just didn't care. Probably the former.

In that case, it wouldn't have been Auron, taking into consideration the fact that he was a master warrior and all. And the footsteps seemed young anyway. They were light, ruling out Kimahri and Wakka. But the strides were decent sized, meaning it wasn't Lulu or Rikku. So either Yuna or Tidus was walking toward me, and I had no idea if they even knew I was here.

Or...I suppose it could've been a spirit, but I didn't think that at the time, and it doesn't matter because it wasn't.

No, the person was definitely as real as he could've been.

}{}{}{

Tidus didn't try to be careful when he walked toward Dylan. He was stunned that she didn't turn to see who was coming, but instead remained gazing at the stars. He waited for her to turn and attack, but she never did. He reached her before she could.

"Hey," she mumbled.

"Hey," he echoed. She didn't turn around yet, but her head drooped ever so slightly. Tidus frowned. He had to fix this.

So gently, he took her hand and pulled her around so she could face him. She obliged willingly, once again to his surprise.

"What is it?" she asked him quietly.

It all seemed to happen in a blink.

Tidus quickly pulled Dylan into his arms, holding her there tightly. As if she would've moved. She was too stunned to do anything at first. Maybe her mind was fooling her into thinking things were happening as they were. But it was all as real as it could've been.

"I'm so sorry," Tidus whispered into Dylan's ear quietly, but he wasn't the least bit hesitant. He knew exactly what he wanted to say for once. "I didn't know why you were pushing everyone away. But now, I realize what this is doing to you. You know everything, and I just now realized what that really means." He sighed quietly. "I'm sorry, Dylan. I didn't know you loved me, too."

Immediately Dylan felt herself wanting to run, to shout, "No, I don't! You're wrong!" But she couldn't; he had caught her, fair and square. And then she realized that she had obviously changed something, and she feared for Yuna's life.

"I know that you are gonna leave here too when this is all over. But...man, there's gotta be a way for us to stay. If Yuna will be okay, then we...?"

Tidus couldn't finish his sentence; his throat had closed up at the sound of Dylan's terrified sobs. He felt her hands grip his clothing tightly.

"I can't let you go," she whispered, tears flooding her eyes. "I'll find a way to get you back. I swear it, if it's the last thing I ever do."

That was all she could even manage to say. She had never felt so hopeless before, and yet...the fact that Tidus was there, holding her ever so tightly, gave her the smallest glimmer of confidence. Did this mean that he possibly loved her, too? She couldn't decide if that was good or bad. One the one hand, it meant the world to her. But also...it meant that watching him leave would be twice as hard.

"Thank you," Tidus murmured, finally regaining his voice. "Just remember...I'm always with you. No matter where you go...I promise, I'll be there."

"Okay," Dylan said. She knew she would have to let go soon. It was about time that they continued to face Yunalesca.

So she let go, and the instinct to grab him back was almost overwhelming. But she knew they couldn't stay there forever.

"I love you," Tidus said quietly, kissing her forehead.

And then he silently walked away.

}{}{}{

Despite the fact that my brain was basically overloaded with thoughts and my heart was pounding a million miles per second, I couldn't move. I couldn't make myself go after him when he walked away. It was like he had secretly glued me into place while he held me there for so long...

I really didn't do anything for a while. I just stood there, completely stunned. I guess I really didn't know _what_ to do next. Then suddenly...the reality of what had just happened hit me. I freaked.

Oh man! Why couldn't Emi or Trisha have been there? Someone I could easily, openly celebrate with! He loved me, too! _Oh man_!

*Okay, I have to remain calm, like nothing happened,* I told myself, starting to pace, every part of me shouting, "GO GO GO!" *They can't suspect anything happened. I need to be sad again.*

But the huge grin on my face stayed.

*What was I even thinking about when I came out here?* I wondered, hugging myself tightly. Then I remembered, and my arms flopped to my sides once more. *Oh yeah. Tidus is going to die. There's nothing I can do to stop it.*

But I had promised him I would find a way to save him. Maybe it wouldn't be right now, but sometime before I died. So that meant...I either needed to find another way into Spira after I left, or I couldn't leave period. I hoped for the latter, but I knew it would be the former.

I really hoped that nothing had changed with Yuna's fate. I hoped that she would still survive. As much as I envied her sometimes, I didn't think at all that she deserved to die, especially for something so...fleeting. I also hoped she would survive, or at least choose not to use the Final Aeon because I knew that meant I would be chosen, and we would both die...

Actually, I would become Sin, which would be even worse than death. So yeah.

The sadness started to come back...then it really hit when I realized one more detail: leaving behind Spira and Tidus would now be even more difficult after what had just happened.

ARGH! I wanted to tear my hair out! Stupid Spira! Stupid spiral of death! Stupid fayth!

The giant pout had returned to my face, and I felt that it might be okay to now venture back to the rest of my group.

}{}{}{

"There she is!" Rikku cried as Dylan ambled into the hallway again.

"Sorry," she said quietly. "Were you waiting for me?"

"Yes, but it's alright," Yuna said with a small smile. She understood. Or at least...she thought she did.

"Well...we should go," Wakka mumbled, glancing at Yuna. She nodded once.

"Don't be afraid, Sir Wakka," she said kindly. "We're all together. We can do whatever we need to do."

"I'm not afraid," Wakka replied quickly.

"It doesn't matter. We go," Auron commanded.

So the group of eight traveled up the stairs and into the trials...for the last time.


	21. Chapter 21: Choice

Chapter 21: Choice (Song: youtube - watch?v=QVEeqLNLlBw)

FLASHBACK START

Dylan let out a huge yawn, not bothering to disguise her boredom. It was another day; it was another drug-free convocation at her middle school.

She felt Emi's knee nudge her from behind, and she couldn't help but grin a little. Emi took these speeches much more seriously. In her family's background there were a significant amount of drug abusers. Nearly all of them had not-so-pretty ends.

"But," Dylan always reminded her, "you aren't them. You're you. You made different choices, and you probably always will."

"But they're still an influence," Emi pointed out.

"They aren't if you don't let them be," Dylan argued.

The conversations always ended up in some sort of disagreement, and so the subject was dropped.

Despite the insistance from Emi, Dylan knew she was right: you control your own influences. That's just how life works.

FLASHBACK END

Dylan wobbled a little as she balanced on a glyph platform with the rest of her friends. They surrounded a giant fiend she knew as Spectral Keeper. It was almost finished, but it had been a tough and trying battle.

"Dylan, switch me!" Rikku shouted, waving her arms.

"Gotcha!" Dylan replied, and the two friends swapped platforms, leaving Dylan between Wakka and Kimahri.

"C'mon, Dylan, let's finish this, ya!" Wakka shouted, sounding almost cheerful. Dylan nodded once, focused.

Meanwhile, behind the great beast stood Rikku, Yuna, and Tidus.

"Yunie, you can still turn back," Rikku tried to convince her cousin.

"You can't run from your fate," Yuna said calmly.

"Who said this had to be your fate?" Tidus pointed out. "I mean-"

"I thought you said you understood." Yuna turned to look Tidus in the eye. He faltered.

"I know, but-"

"I have chosen my road. It may be winding, but I will continue."

Suddenly the giant fiend roared and began to dissolve into pyreflies.

"Yaho- watashi wa katta ze!" Dylan cheered, hi-fiving Wakka.

"What does that even mean?" he asked her, grinning.

"Yahoo, I won!"

"Oh, that makes more sense, ya?"

"Good, then that is settled," Lulu said, smiling as the group began to teleport to the next room.

Inside it looked similar to the previous rooms of the trial, but there was one important difference: this room had an elevator. Only Tidus and Rikku didn't know what it led to.

"Yuna... We're here," Auron said quietly.

"The hall of the Final Summoning." Her voice was worn, a bit afraid, but completely prepared.

"Go," he commanded her.

"Yes," she replied with a slight bow.

With confident steps, Yuna went to the elevator, not looking at anyone, not even Tidus. It slowly descended into the abyss.

}{}{}{

I was the only calm person in the room when Yuna came right back up from the hall.

"Sir Auron! Everyone!" she cried, shocked.

She didn't need to give us a command. We all knew to join her. Something was up, and everyone knew it. Especially, of course, me.

Though I still find it hard to believe that Yuna was so surprised as she was. Didn't she realize Yevon was a hoax after her experiences in Bevelle? Who knows; denial is scarily controlling.

We ran into the Fayth's supposed room, following Yuna closely.

"This isn't a fayth. It's just an empty statue," she declared, bending down to examine it further. As she stood, the man who greeted us at the entrance to the dome appeared from a blast of white light.

"That statue lost its power as a fayth long ago," he said remorsefully. I wonder how many people he had explained this to. "It is Lord Zaon, the first fayth of the Final Summoning. What you see before you is all that remains of him. Lord Zaon is...his soul is gone."

"Gone!" Wakka gasped.

"You mean, there is no Final Aeon?" Rikku added, her voice a mix of relief and disappointment. She glanced at me, as did Tidus.

"But fear not. Lady Yunalesca will show you the path," the man explained. "The Final Aeon will be yours. The summoner and the Final Aeon will join powers. Go to her now. Inside, the lady awaits."

The old man disappeared as a door opened behind Yuna. She turned to proceed, but Tidus interrupted her.

"Yuna, wait!" he said. She paused. "Auron, you knew this was going to happen, didn't you?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Why didn't you tell us!" Rikku snapped,

"If I had told you the truth, would that really have stopped you from coming?" Auron asked.

No one bothered to answer.

"Is this what you couldn't tell us?" Rikku asked me, her tone a little more calm.

"Somewhat," I replied vaguely. "This journey is far from over."

"Yuna," Kimahri grunted.

"I'm not going back," she insisted in almost a childish manner.

"Kimahri knows." Kimahri walked past Yuna, pausing before entering through the doorway. "Kimahri go first. Yuna is safe. Kimahri protect."

A loud but distant boom greeted us when we entered the next room. It wasn't scary at all-in fact, it was rather well-lit. But the ominous feeling that you weren't alone was terrifying.

"Someone's coming!" Rikku cried.

"Lady Yunalesca," Yuna murmured as the figure came into view.

I really gotta say, the game showed Yunalesca as really freaky looking! But in reality, she was gorgeous. Her long white hair seemed to float around her endlessly. Despite her scandalous clothing, her skin was fair and glowing. She was an enigma, to say the least. Her appearance was only enhanced by the pyreflies that fluttered around her.

Nobody knew what to say, but luckily, Yunalesca did the talking. It must've been a speech well rehearsed by this point in her existance.

"Welcome to Zanarkand," she greeted us, bowing. "I congratulate you, summoner. You have completed your pilgrimage. I will now bestow upon you that which you seek. The Final Summoning...will be yours. Now, choose."

Yuna stared at Yunalesca, not daring to move. Yunalesca slowly made her way down the stairs as she continued.

"You must choose the one whom I will change...to become the fayth for the Final Summoning." Everyone but me gasped, but Yunalesca pressed on. "There must be a bond, between chosen and summoner, for that is what the Final Aeon embodies: the bond between husband and wife, mother and child, or between friends. If that bond is strong enough, its light will conquer Sin. A thousand years ago, I chose my husband Zaon as my fayth. Our bond was true, and I obtained the Final Aeon. There is nothing to fear. You will soon be freed of worry and pain. For once you call forth the Final Aeon, your life will end. Death is the ultimate and final liberation. Your father, Braska, chose this path."

}{}{}{

Suddenly, in a recollection of pyreflies, Braska, Jecht, and the younger Auron appeared before Yuna and her party.

"It is not too late!" Auron insisted. "Let us turn back!"

"If I turn back, who will defeat Sin?" Braska said sharply. "Would you have some other summoner and his guardians go through this?"

"But...my lord, there must be another way!"

"This is the only way we got now!" Jecht suddenly cut in. "Fine. Make me the fayth. I been doing some thinking. My dream is back in the other Zanarkand. I wanted to make that runt into a star blitz player. Show him the view from the top, you know. But now I know there's no way home for me. I'm never gonna see him again. My dream's never gonna come true. So make me the fayth." That last command was pure insistance. "I'll fight Sin with you, Braska. Then maybe my life will have meaning, you know."

"Don't do this, Jecht!" Auron cried. "If you live...there may be another way! We'll think of something, I know!"

"Believe me, I thought this through,"Jecht argued back, his rough voice calm. "Besides... I ain't gettin' any younger, so I might as well make myself useful."

"Jecht," Braska murmured quietly, approaching his friend.

"What! You're not gonna try to stop me, too?"

"Sorry. I mean...thank you." Braska lowered his eyes sadly.

"Braska still has to fight Sin, Auron," Jecht said, putting a hand on Braska's shoulder. "Guard him well. Make sure he gets there. Well, let's go."

"Lord Braska! Jecht!" Auron shouted after them.

"What do you want now?" Jecht growled, turning around as he and Braska halted halfway up the stairs.

"Sin always comes back," Auron began to explain. "It comes back after the Calm every time! The cycle will continue and your deaths will mean nothing!"

"But there's always a chance it won't come back this time," Braska insisted. "It's worth trying."

"I understand what you're saying, Auron," Jecht added. "I'll find a way to break the cycle."

"You have a plan?" Auron asked, shocked.

"Jecht?" Braska urged him.

"Trust me, I'll think of something."

And with a laugh, Jecht led Braska up the stairs and out of the door. The young Auron, distraught, collapsed to his knees.

Suddenly, to everyone's complete surprise, the current Auron approached the specter of his youth and began to chop through it with his sword angrily.

"And the cycle went on," he finally growled as the pyreflies disappeared.

}{}{}{

"We'll break it!" Tidus assured Auron.

"But how? What, you got a plan now?" Wakka said in a mocking tone.

"If one of us has to become a fayth...I volunteer," Lulu stated, looking at Yuna, who was staring at the ground.

"Me too, Yuna!" Wakka added enthusiastically.

"That still won't change anything, you know?" Tidus argued. "You'd bring the Calm, and then what? That won't break the cycle!"

"Listen..." Wakka murmured, a sad smile on his face. "You wanna defeat Sin and keep Yuna alive... You don't want Sin to come back, ya? That is just not gonna happen, brudda, you know?"

"Can't you religious boneheads think outside of the box for a second?" I cried, stomping my foot. "Tidus and Auron are right! This is just a waste of time if we keep according to schedule!"

"If you want everything, you'll end up with nothing," Lulu said sternly.

"But I want everything!" Tidus replied, and Rikku grinned at me. I smiled back. I think she then realized that I really was right. Yuna was going to be okay.

"Now you're being childish!" Wakka scolded.

"I give up! So what would an adult do, then?" Tidus mocked him. "They know they can just throw away a summoner, then they can do whatever they like. You're right. I might not even have a chance. But no way am I gonna just stand here and let Yuna go. And what Auron said about there being a way... I think it's true."

"'You'll think of something'?" Rikku suggested.

"I'll go ask Yunalesca," he replied. "She's got to know something."

"You think she's actually going to help you, just like that, huh?" I asked, smirking.

"I don't know, but I have to try," he answered, glancing at me. "This is my story. It'll go the way I want it...or I'll end it here."

"Wait," came Yuna's meek voice. "You say it's your story, but it's my story, too, you know? It would be so easy...to let my fate just carry me away...following this same path my whole life through. But I know...I can't. What I do, I do...with no regrets."

As Yuna and rest of us walked away, I realized she had just delivered that line with more anger than the game ever portrayed.

That realization made me realize that I had quite possibly changed the game.


	22. Chapter 22: RAWR IMMA ZOMBEH!

Chapter 22: RAWR IMMA ZOM-BEH!-Dedicated to Ben, Luke, Jacob, Michael, and Casey (Video: youtube - watch?v=MIKZEOen3wE)

FLASHBACK START

"Really, Ms. Capp, you might as well give us a perfect score right now," Dylan said confidently as she handed her physics teacher a DVD. All the classes were to present a video explaining properties of physics as their end of the year project.

Ms. Capp playfully rolled her eyes as she popped the disc into her computer. Dylan hurried to her seat beside Trisha.

"Too bad Emi can't see our debut," Trisha whispered as someone turned off the lights.

"Yeah, but that's okay. It's pretty memorable."

Dylan and Trisha watched their video, grinning as the opening footage played. It showed the three girls chasing after what appeared to be zombies, but were really just some neighborhood kids.

"Today we're gonna give y'all the proper learnin's about physics and zombies!" the on-screen Dylan said in a thick country drawl.

The entire class burst into laughter as the three continued. Suddenly it zoomed in one of the "zombie" kids.

"Brains brains brains, brains brainsbrains brains brainsbrainbrains brains!"

FLASHBACK END

Soon the group reached a platform that reached up toward the heavens. There was no ceiling, just an endless starry sky. Still, Yuna felt trapped.

"Have you chosen the one to become your fayth?" Yunalesca asked as she appeared before them once more. "Who will it be?"

"Might I ask something first?" Yuna hesistantly said. "Will Sin come back even should I use the Final Summoning to defeat it?"

"Sin is eternal," Yunalesca replied matter-of-factly. "Every aeon that defeats it becomes Sin in its place... And thus is Sin reborn."

"So that's why Jecht became Sin," Tidus murmured, crossing his arms.

"Sin is an inevitable part of Spira's destiny," Yunalesca continued, holding her arms out as if to show the greatness of Sin. "It is neverending."

"Neverending?" Wakka repeated, choking on that word. "But...but...if we atone for our crimes, Sin will stop coming back, ya? Someday, it'll be gone, ya?"

"Will humanity ever attain such purity?" Yunalesca asked him in a sad, quiet voice.

"This...this cannot be!" Lulu cried, so angrily that she did not sound like herself. "The teachings state that we can exorcise Sin with complete atonement! It's been our only hope all these years!"

"Hope is...comforting. It allows us to escape fate, however tragic it might be."

"No!" Tidus cried, but at the same time, another voice shouted.

"No!" Auron's younger self sprinted forward, sword in hand. "Where is the sense in all this? Braska believed in Yevon's teachings and died for them! Jecht believed in Braska and gave his life for him!"

"They chose to die...because they had hope," the Yunalesca from the past told him.

The younger Auron let out a fierce warrior cry and ran forward to attack Yunalesca, but she blasted him backward. His neck crashed against the ground, and the rest of his body followed. He did not move again. Only the pyreflies caused this image to disappear.

"Yevon's teachings and the Final Summoning give the people of Spira hope," Yunalesca explained. "Without hope, they would drown in their sorrow. Now, choose." She gestured, as if to bring someone forward. "Who will be your fayth? Who will be the one to renew Spira's hope?"

}{}{}{

It was completely silent as we all waited on Yuna's answer.

"No one," she finally replied. "I would have gladly died. I live for the people of Spira, and would have gladly died for them. But no more! The Final Summoning...is a false tradition that should be thrown away."

"No. It's our only hope," Yunalesca insisted. "Your father sacrificed himself to give that hope to the people. So they would forget sorrow."

"Wrong." Yuna shook her head slowly. "My father... My father wanted...to make Spira's sorrow go away. Not just cover it up with lies!"

"Sorrow cannot be abolished. It is meaningless to try."

"My father... I loved him. So I... I will live with my sorrow, I will live my own life! I will defeat sorrow, in his place. I will stand my ground and be strong. I don't know when it will be but someday, I will conquer it. And I will do it without...false hope." The last two words came as a whisper, almost like she was promising herself something. I'm sure I would've understood more had I played Final Fantasy X-2, but then, I didn't get it.

"Poor creature. You would throw away hope." As Yunalesca spoke, I noticed the stars began to dim, and the whole place darkened in response. "Well... I will free you before you can drown in your sorrow. It is better for you to die in hope than to live in despair. Let me be your liberator."

Yunalesca's crazy hair flew around her body, then formed what looked like a sort of shield behind her. Though I knew what to do and how to win, I couldn't help but feel a little afraid. If I _had_ changed the game...would we all survive? Well...there was only one way to figure it out!

"Now! This is it!" Auron cried, reciting my favorite line of the game. "Now is the time to choose! Die and be free of pain or live and fight your sorrow! Now is the time to shape your stories! Your fate is in your hands!"

"Yuna needs Kimahri," Kimahri said, pulling out his spear. "Kimahri protect Yuna."

"Well, I'm fighting!" Rikku said enthusiastically.

"I can't believe we're gonna fight Lady Yunalesca! Gimme a break!" Wakka groaned.

"You can always run," Lulu taunted him.

"Hah! I'd never forgive myself-no way! Not if I ran away now. Even in death, ya!"

"My thoughts exactly."

"Yuna...you're going to make your father so proud," I said quietly, pulling my gloves onto my hands more tightly. She glanced at me, then smiled.

I then waited for Tidus' line, which was supposed to go like this, "Yuna! This is our story! Now let's see this thing through together."

But instead it came like this: "Yuna, we've got your back! Let's do this!"

I almost fell over. I really had changed the game!

It was then that I got really scared.

}{}{}{

Yunalesca's first form was nothing. It wasn't even scary-looking.

"How hard is this going to be?" Tidus whispered to Dylan.

"I don't know. It depends on how lucky we'll get," she replied, then grabbed Yuna's arm as she started to run forward. "Wait, Yuna!" The summoner stopped. "Wait. Stay back and protect yourself for now. I'll let you know when you and Lulu will be most useful."

"Okay," Yuna said, nodding.

"Tidus, you go," Dylan then commanded him. He hesitated, then ran off to join the others. "Yuna, do we have plenty of Holy Waters?"

"I think so. Why?"

Dylan glanced over her shoulder at those who were fighting, then continued. "Yunalesca's second and third form are extremely powerful, and she will turn us into zombies if she gets the chance. But don't worry, I have a strategy."

"Okay, I figured you would," Yuna said, grinning. Dylan shrugged, grinning back.

"What can I say? I'm your most valuable weapon."

Suddenly the ground shook, and the two girls turned quickly to see Yunalesca rising out of the ground, attached to something gruesome-looking.

"Alright, stay here," Dylan said. "I'll yell for you if we need you, okay?"

"But-"

"Don't forget: you're still the most important person here."

Yuna hesitated, as if she wanted to reply to that, but then nodded in understanding.

"Good luck," she murmured as Dylan ran off to join the others.

"'Bout time you got in on this!" Wakka teased her, heaving his Blitzball at the fiend.

"Sorry. Were you all that helpless without me?" she shot back, grinning.

"Quite so," Lulu joked, bringing down a powerful thunder spell on Yunalesca's head.

As if in response, Yunalesca's giant tentacles bore into Wakka, Lulu...and then Dylan.

"Whoa, what just happened?" Tidus cried as each of their eyes turned a pale green color.

"They're zombies!" Rikku shrieked, clinging to Auron, who shoved her away.

"Yuna, we need you!" he shouted. She nodded, running forward.

"Dylan, what do I do?" Yuna cried. But Dylan only looked at Yuna. If anyone had known her thoughts, they would've known total confusion. Though part of her wanted to yell out to Yuna, the other half wanted to attack.

Before Yuna could recall the orders given to her, Yunalesca cast a curative spell on Yuna's friends, and each of them gasped in pain.

"Shoot!" Yuna shouted, digging for a Holy Water. "Hold on!" She then threw out three, and they cracked open above each of her friends, bringing them back to humanity.

}{}{}{

That was an experience I will never forget. Not being able to reason at all, vision being blurred, everything jumbled and confusing...

When I finally came back to reality, I couldn't help but topple over in shock. Every muscle seemed to burn in pain. What a curse! I will never see zombie horror movies the same way.

"You okay?" Rikku cried, running over to help me up. "Your face is so pale!"

I knew that must've been bad, because my skin was normally a healthy, tan color.

I wanted to respond, but I didn't have the strength to. And then my fear consumed me: without my help, would they make it through this battle? I know that sounds super arrogant, but if you think about it, it makes sense. Every single battle, I had given them shortcuts and pointers. Would they figure out the pattern on their own?

I don't know how long I lied there, waiting for either death or success. Rikku was with me nearly the whole time, until the very end, when she hopped up and ran over to get someone, who ended up to be Yuna.

"It's okay, it's over," Yuna said, casting some sort of spell on me. Whatever she did, it worked, and I felt halfway decent again.

"Thanks," I murmured, slightly embarrassed. I sat up and turned to see Yunalesca kneeling before us, defeated.

"If I die, so does the Final Aeon," she said, staring at the ground. "And with it, Spira's only hope."

"Then we'll find Spira a new hope!" Tidus exclaimed

"Fool. There is no other way," she growled. "Even if there was... Even if you did destroy Sin... Yu Yevon the immortal would only create Sin anew."

"Yu Yevon!" Tidus gasped.

"Ah...Zaon... Forgive me... Spira has been robbed of the light of hope... All that remains is sorrow."

Yunalesca looked up one last time, and to my amazement, she looked right at me. Then, as if in slow motion, she collapsed on the ground, and pyreflies burst out of her. She was gone.

"I cannot believe what we just did," Yuna gasped. I got to my feet.

"I'm glad," I mumbled. That was _not_ a good experience...

"Let's do something more unbelievable!" Tidus said, running forward.

"What?" Rikku snapped.

"Destroy Sin. So it won't come back, and without the Final Aeon." He ran past us all and stared into the open, peaceful sky. "I don't know how just yet. But I'll find out."

}{}{}{

"We must talk."

Those three words gave Tidus a horrible feeling, as he knew what was coming.

"What?" Tidus said, turning to see the powerful warrior Auron heading for him.

"There is something you should know," Auron said.

"I know...it's about you, right?" Tidus murmured.

"I am also an unsent. You are not surprised?" The last statement hung between being a question and a statement. Tidus understood it to be the former.

"I think I kinda knew. It was Yunalesca, wasn't it?"

"When Braska and Jecht died defeating Sin...I just couldn't accept it," Auron explained. "I came back here...tried to avenge them. But she struck me down. Somehow I made my way, crawling, down Mount Gagazet. But my strength left me just outside Bevelle. That's where Kimahri found me. I told him about Yuna...just before I died. I've been wandering ever since, never going to the Farplane."

"Auron..." Tidus sighed, frowning.

"Don't make that face. Being dead has its advantages." The way Auron said it, though, didn't sound like Seymour's obsession. "I was able to ride Sin and go to your Zanarkand."

"And you've been watching over me since then, haven't you?" Tidus asked him. "Why? What's the big idea? Why me?"

"It is one of those things that is difficult to explain. Very well, I will show you." Auron walked forward, then paused. "My memories."

Kneeling, Auron stretched out his strong arm, and three figures appeared out of the pyreflies.

"Can I ask you one last favor? Uh... Nah. Never mind." That was Jecht, with Braska standing far behind him.

"Out with it!" the young Auron snapped.

"Okay. Listen good." Jecht turned his back to Auron. "Take care of my son." Suddenly Jecht whipped back around, as if to explain himself. "My son, in Zanarkand. He's such a crybaby. He needs someone there to hold his hand, see? Take care of him, will you?"

"But how am I supposed to go to Zanarkand?" Auron wondered out loud.

"Hey! You said it yourself!" Jecht exclaimed with a chuckle. "There must be a way to get there, right? You'll find it."

"All right, I will!" Auron finally agreed. "I give you my word. I'll take care of your son. I'll guard him with my life."

"Thanks, Auron. You were always such a stiff, but that's what I liked about you."

The pyrefly figures disappeared, and Auron stood once again.

"That is why," he said.

}{}{}{

I don't know what prompted me to wait for Tidus, but perhaps it was the fact that I couldn't stop staring at what his father had become: Sin. It was waiting there for Tidus. And so was I.

Tidus came out shortly after I did, seeing as how I was eavesdropping on his conversation with Auron.

He stopped when he saw me, then looked at his father, too. Slowly he made his way over to me and stood there next to me. We both stared at Sin, and I knew Tidus must've been telling Jecht to wait...just a little longer.

As if in response, Sin turned away. It was an awesome creature; every time it moved, I could hear voices, probably the fayth. With surprising grace, it slid back into the water and started to leave, just as our airship passed by it. But Sin did not attack, and neither did the ship.

I looked up to see what Tidus' reaction was...it was sad.


	23. Chapter 23: Songbirds

Chapter 23: Songbirds

FLASHBACK START

"C'mon, Dylan, you can sing," Emi insisted, prodding Dylan's side repeatedly with the end of a pencil.

"I can rap," Dylan corrected her, ignoring the jabs into her ribs.

"You could also sing lower parts," Trisha added.

"'Could' is the key word there," Dylan laughed. Every year, it was the same thing. Trisha and Emi tried to convince Dylan that she could sing, too, in their talent show act. But Dylan knew better. She could rap, and she could most definitely dance. But singing was just not one of her talents. She accepted that.

But they didn't.

"We could_ teach _you to sing," Emi said.

"No thanks," Dylan replied.

"But how else are we gonna be able to do D.D.D. for senior year? You can't expect not to sing in that song!" Trisha pointed out.

"She's right," Emi agreed, nodding vigorously.

Dylan exhaled slowly. They had caught her. D.D.D. would definitely win them their last talent show. And they were right-that song has three defined vocal parts.

"Alright...you win," Dylan said. "You can teach me some singing stuff."

FLASHBACK END

"Frana du huf? (Where to now?)" Brother asked when we all were in the main control room. He didn't bother to even look at us. He was probably trying to concentrate or something...something he obviously struggled with.

Cid, on the other hand, slowly turned around to look at us all. He took his time, staring each one of us in the eyes. I can't even imagine how tired we must've looked...

"Aren't we the happy lookin' bunch," Cid said.

"Frana? Frana? (Where? Where?)" Brother urged us.

"'Where, where?' That all you can say?" Rikku snapped. "Why don't you think of something!"

That shut him up easily.

"Well? Any good ideas?" Auron asked. Devil's advocate, anyone?

"Come on, help us!" Tidus shot right back. I think everyone was tired of people like me and Auron knowing what to do. I was glad Tidus countered on Auron, though, because I was too tired to fight back.

"What do we know... Sin is Jecht," Auron began. "Thus, you have a link...a bond with Sin. That may be our key."

"So what do we do?" Tidus asked.

"We think, and we wait," Auron replied, walking away.

Tidus' shoulders slumped considerably. "Two things I'm bad at," he muttered.

Suddenly we all notice Auron stop, and it was obvious why. Yuna had finally entered the room. She slowly walked past the rest of us and went straight to her uncle. When she stopped, neither of them moved for a moment, then Yuna bowed low, humbling herself to him.

Cid, however, turned his back to her, and by the time she stood upright, he was no longer facing her, and would _not_ face her. She nodded once, then walked away.

I might've been the only one who knew Cid was crying.

}{}{}{

Tidus found Yuna on the uppermost viewing deck sometime later. She wasn't alone; Kimahri was there also. He was always there, like her faithful shadow.

"I'm no good at all," Yuna said when Tidus finally reached her.

"What are you talking about?" Tidus asked her quietly, baffled.

"All this time, I've been thinking about how to defeat Sin," she explained. "But I... Beyond the teachings of Yevon, I...I know nothing. I'm sorry." She finally looked Tidus in the eye; her face was lined with stress and confusion. She looked beyond seventeen years old.

"Yuna, no apologies," Kimahri said suddenly, stepping toward the two.

"Huh?"

"Apology is running. Yuna never run away."

For the first time in a while, Yuna smiled a real, genuine smile.

"Thank you, Kimahri," she said, even sounding happy.

"So, uh, Kimahri..." Tidus said, looking at the powerful Ronso. "You got any good ideas?"

"Yevon's teachings," Kimahri replied.

"The teachings won't help us fight Sin," Yuna said bitterly, shaking her head. Her happiness disappeared.

"No answer in the teachings, answers lie outside. Must know both sides to find answer."

"Both sides..." Yuna repeated, putting a hand to her chin in deep thought.

"Mika knows much," Kimahri then added. "Find him, make him talk."

"That's it! Kimahri! You rock!" Tidus cheered. Mika! Why hadn't _he_ thought of that?

Kimahri only shook his head in amusement. Tidus ignored it and ran back toward the bridge. Finally...a clue. Soon, this could be over.

As much as he had come to enjoy Spira and the people in it, Tidus was tired. Auron, he figured, probably felt the same way most of the time. With each pounding footstep, Tidus ran closer to the end.

"Hey!"

Tidus jumped, startled at the sound of another person's voice.

"C'mon, come to the bridge!" Dylan exclaimed, grabbing his wrist. "We have an idea!"

"Yeah, so do I!" Tidus said, hoping Kimahri wouldn't be angry if he took credit.

"Hey, guys! I just had an even better idea!" Wakka shouted as soon as Dylan and Tidus entered the bridge.

"It was my idea," Rikku cut in, slapping a hand over Wakka's mouth. "Let me tell them!"

"It's like this, ya?" Wakka continued, swatting her away.

"I just thought!" Rikku cut in again, ducking under Wakka's arm.

"The Hymn is the key," Lulu finished for them. Rikku and Wakka let out a cry of frustration in response. Dylan laughed and hugged Rikku, saying, "Better luck next time..."

"The Hymn?" Tidus echoed. That was an even better idea...

"Sir Jecht likes the Hymn of the Fayth, correct?" Lulu said.

"Yeah," Tidus answered.

"That's why he was listening to it in Macalania!" Rikku explained.

"Sin...violence incarnate, listening peacefully," Lulu added. Wakka walked toward Tidus sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"I know it's your old man, and I don't mean no disrespect, but..."

"No, it's fine," Tidus assured him. "I've gotten used to it."

"Let me say it," Lulu insisted, walking over to Wakka. "If we attack Sin head-on, we've little chance of winning. However, if he hears the Hymn of the Fayth, he will become docile."

"Yeah, and that's when we make our move! Might be against the rules and all, but who's keeping track, ya?" When Tidus didn't respond, Wakka added another "ya?"

"Yeah! It could really work!" Rikku cried, peering into Tidus' face.

"Yeah... Yeah, it's worth a try!" Tidus said with a smile.

So now they had a plan, as well as a couple of backups. Tidus felt good about this.

}{}{}{

"Infidel!"

What a lovely greeting!

So Kimahri finally got around to telling everyone his idea about seeing Maester Mika, and that meant returning to Bevelle. Worst idea ever, but oh well. It had to be done.

"Man, don't these guys ever give up?" Wakka groaned, slapping his forehead.

"You'll regret showing your face here!" one of the monks shouted. "We'll strike you down in the name of Yevon!"

"Blah, blah, blah. Yeah, so? Guys?" Tidus said. That is possibly the funniest line in the game.

"If they want a fight, let's give 'em one!" Rikku shouted.

"Prepare to charge!" the monk said, sounding like Cid.

"Stop!"

And, once again, Shelinda stumbled into the scene. For once, though, her presense was actually useful...

"Captain?" the monk gasped, relaxing the grip on his gun.

"Lady Yuna is not to be harmed!" Shelinda commanded them, out of breath from running. "She's no traitor! That is an evil rumor spread by the Al Bhed!"

"What?" Rikku cried, pissed. I had to laugh.

"Maester Mika himself told me," Shelinda insisted.

"Then...what are we to do?" the monk asked quietly.

"Stand down!" Rikku shouted in a perfect imitation of Shelinda. Though she did sound kind of foreign, like she was from India, maybe?

"As she says!" Shelinda affirmed, and the monks finally backed off and returned to their posts.

"What was that about evil Al Bhed?" Rikku said, trying to remain calm...and kind of failing. I gently punched her arm, and she punched back much harder. She was pissed.

"I... Truly, I do not understand it myself," Shelinda admitted, walking closer to us. "All Yevon seems to be in a state of confusion. Why, yesterday they called me out of the blue and made me captain of the guard!"

"Short on believers?" Auron said, and though my back was to him, I could tell he was smirking.

"Yes, the chaos in the temples is worse than I'd imagined. It's horrible! And all the priests do is blame each other." Shelinda shook her head sadly. "I worry what will become of Yevon. But no! I must be the rock that stands against the swirling tides, right? Lady Yuna, I must tell you, your courage has been a great inspiration to me."

"Yeah, that's great, but we came here to see Maester Mika," Tidus said, turning the conversation in the ideal direction. "Is he here?"

"Yes, I shall arrange an audience," she replied, running off. "Please wait in the courtroom."

"Hey, hey, wait!" Rikku called after her. "What was all that about the Al Bhed lying and stuff?"

"Simple," Auron assured her, and she turned to face him. "Yuna has become Mika's only hope."

"Oh..." Rikku seemed to consider this for a moment, and so I gave her a stern look, and she shrugged. "Okay."

"Just what does he think he can get away with?" Lulu said angrily, shaking her head.

"Time to teach him some manners!" Tidus agreed.

"Yes, let's," Yuna said, settling it.

}{}{}{

"Why are you here?" Mika asked them as soon as the meeting began. Dylan huffed a sigh. Another impolite greeting. Didn't anyone ever say "hi" anymore? Mika wasn't even facing them! "You must go and defeat Sin, quickly! You have obtained the Final Aeon from Yunalesca, have you not?"

"Well, we did meet her," Tidus started.

"We fought and defeated her," Yuna admitted with confidence.

"What!" Mika gasped, whipping himself around.

"Summoners and guardians will be sacrificed for the Final Summoning no more!" Auron said, almost like a command.

"You have profaned and subverted a thousand-year-old tradition?" Mika moaned. "Fools! Infants!" Now that was a strange insult. The youngest there was Rikku, and she was well into her fifteenth year of life... "Do you realize what you've done? You've taken away the only means of calming Sin!"

"Hey, maybe that's not the only way!" Tidus argued. "We think we've got another."

"Why..." Mika shook his head quickly in disgust. "Preposterous! There is no other way!"

"The grand maester, running away?" Auron taunted him.

"Why don't you just listen to us instead?" Dylan snapped. "This would all be a lot easier!"

"Spira has lost its only hope. Destruction is inevitable," Mika stated. "Yu Yevon's spiral of death will consume us all. I have no desire to watch Spira die."

"It won't die!" Yuna insisted.

"She's right! This will work!" Dylan added.

"Who is this Yu Yevon guy?" Tidus asked suddenly.

"Lady Yunalesca also mentioned him," Lulu pointed out.

"Wait, gramps! Who's Yu Yevon?" Rikku shouted.

"He who crafts the souls of the dead into unholy armor," Mika replied. "An armor called Sin. Clad in it, Yu Yevon is invincible. And the only thing that could have pierced that armor, you have destroyed! Nothing can stop it now."

Mika raised his hands above his head, then suddenly became consumed by pyreflies, and he disappeared.

"Disappear on us, will ya?" Wakka shouted, waving his fist in the air. "Rotton son of a shoopuf!"

As if in response, the party could hear footsteps, and soon Shelinda appeared.

"Where...where is the grand maester?" she asked, sounding alarmed.

"He, um..." Yuna started, but she didn't know how to finish.

"He's not here yet," Auron jumped in. "How long must we wait?"

"That's odd..." Shelinda said, now confused. "I'll go look for His Grace."

She trotted off, completely unaware that she had been jilted.

}{}{}{

Only Tidus and Yuna were supposed to be able to see the fayth from Bevelle, yet I could too. I thought it was strange...it took me years to understand why that was.

"It's you," Tidus said when he saw it.

"Come, to my room," it said.

"Okay," Yuna replied. I smirked. Hah.

After it disappeared, Wakka asked, "Who you talking to?"

"Oh. Uh, no one," Tidus replied quickly.

"I must go see the fayth," Yuna told Auron, who let out a quiet "hmph" of amusement.

"I see," he replied.

"You can see it too, can't you?" Yuna suddenly asked me. I jumped.

"Y-Yes," I replied warily. She smiled.

"Come with us," she insisted.

I didn't know what to say, so I followed her and Tidus into the fayth's chambers.

"Hello," he said rather cheerfully. I smiled. Finally, someone with manners!

"Hey!" I greeted him, bowing.

"I must thank you for the aeon," Yuna added with a smile, bowing.

"So, what's up?" Tidus asked, all business for once.

"So, have you found a way to truly defeat Sin?" the fayth asked us.

"Well..." Tidus started, lost in thought. I then understood why Yuna wanted me to come: I had all the answers.

"We think so," I replied for him. "We're going to fight Yu Yevon."

"Yes..." The fayth seemed pleased. "If you defeat Yu Yevon, it will end. Tell me, what do you know about Yu Yevon?"

"He's what makes Sin come back!" Tidus exclaimed.

"Sin is his armor. It protects him," Yuna added.

"Yu Yevon was once a summoner, long ago," the fayth explained. "He was peerless. Yet now he lives for one purpose: only to summon. He is neither good, nor evil. He is awake, yet he dreams. But...maybe not forever."

"Yeah, that's right. Because we're ending it," Tidus said confidently, crossing his arms.

"Yes. Even if you defeat Sin with the Final Summoning, Yu Yevon will live. Yu Yevon will join with the Final Aeon. He will transform it into a new Sin."

"Yu Yevon merges with the aeon..." Yuna started, realizing the pattern now.

"Then, protected by this new Sin he has created, Yu Yevon continues the summoning."

"For eternity...huh?" Tidus said quietly.

"But you know, there is no such thing as eternity if you end it, is there?" the fayth pointed out.

"Uh-huh." Tidus nodded obediently.

"Yu Yevon lives inside Sin. Yuna, listen. When you fight Yu Yevon, we will help you. Promise me you'll summon us. I'm afraid your swords and magic won't be enough. Please, call us. Promise?"

"Yes," Yuna assured him.

"But, you know... When it is all over...we will wake, and our dream will end. Our dream will vanish."

"Yeah," Tidus said quietly. "You've been dreaming a long time, haven't you?"

"I'm sorry," the fayth said.

"I'm grateful," Tidus replied.

The fayth seemed pleased with that, and so he vanished.

}{}{}{

"About what?" Yuna asked Tidus.

"Oh, nothing." Yuna pouted a little. "Hey, don't make that face! Come on! We're gonna beat Sin! Let's see some cheer, okay?"

"You're hiding something," Yuna said darkly.

"I'm not!" Tidus insisted.

"Really?" Yuna said as he walked away. She paused as he shrugged it off.

"You're a bad liar, you know?" she added quietly. "Dylan?"

"What is it?" Dylan responded, not looking at Yuna.

"Is he lying?"

Dylan lowered her head, eyes fixated on the floor.

"...Sorry."

Without another word, Dylan walked away too, leaving Yuna all alone.


	24. Chapter 24: Sin

Chapter 24: Sin (Song: youtube - watch?v=GfmaQNtxT2Q)

FLASHBACK START

"Okay, today we're going to take a personality quiz, since we're way ahead of the lesson plan anyway," Miss McKnappland said, passing out a sheet of paper to each of her first period AP Composition students. "Have fun. Take your time."

"Woot," half the class said, still not quite awake yet.

"A quiz?" Trisha yawned, sounding perplexed.

"Not for a grade," Emi pointed out.

"Hahaha, sure." Trisha grinned.

"Green, sleeping, nighttime, gluttony-"

"Did you just say your sin is gluttony?" Emi laughed, interrupting Dylan's list.

"Yes. I love food. I mean, like, when you travel, what do you do? Eat food. I mean, at least, that's what _I_ do..." Dylan explained, not looking up from the quiz.

"Gross..."

"Well, what, do I look _frilly_ to you?"

FLASHBACK END

"I... I'm afraid the grand maester is nowhere to be found!" Shelinda announced as Tidus, Dylan, and Yuna rejoined the others.

"S'okay, we were just leaving," Tidus said, smiling.

"Oh...I see." She sounded disappointed.

"Hey! Maybe you could help us with the hymn," Rikku suggested. This seemed to lift Shelinda's mood; she always wanted to help.

"Hey, good idea!" Tidus agreed.

"It's like, we need you to tell as many people as you can," Rikku explained.

"What should I tell them?" Shelinda asked obediently.

"A ship in the sky will sing the Hymn of the Fayth. When they hear it, we need everyone to sing along!"

"Everyone in Spira!" Wakka elaborated.

Puzzled, Shelinda put a hand to her cheek and said, "I'm not sure I understand."

"You don't have to!" Rikku cried. "Just tell everyone!"

"A ship in the sky will sing the Hymn of the Fayth? So when they hear it, everyone should sing along, correct?" Shelinda repeated.

"If they do, we might be able to defeat Sin!" Tidus added confidently. He was excited to see the end, though he dreaded it at the same time. It was...complicated.

"Truly?" Shelinda gasped.

"Yes!" Yuna said, nodding slightly.

"That's wonderful! You can count on me! I shall tell all of Spira!"

}{}{}{

"Well, this is it, eh?" Cid asked us back on the airship. We were all hanging out on the bridge, waiting to find Sin.

"Yu Yevon's hiding somewhere inside Sin, and we're gonna find him," Tidus explained with confidence. I wondered if he was even afraid anymore.

"Well, that sounds pretty simple," Cid said, and I could tell he wanted to add, "But easier said than done."

"Simple is the way you like it, right?" Tidus joked.

"You got that right," Cid admitted.

"Pops!" Rikku called from a control panel. "I'm countin' on you!"

"Right, got you covered!"

Cid walked over to another of the ship's many panels and started to fiddle with it. Whatever he did, though, worked, because soon the Hymn of the Fayth was blaring through the speakers. Not that it wasn't a pretty song...it was just loud.

"How's that?" Cid asked Rikku.

"Right on!" she answered with a smirk.

Yuna, I noticed, was completely still, with her hand over her heart. It was like...her own pledge of allegiance. I'd never thought of it that way before.

"A singing ship in the sky," Lulu said, mezmorized as she walked past Yuna.

"I hope everyone got the message," Wakka said. Always the worrier.

"Sin!" Brother cried, and the atmosphere 180'd right then and there.

In the distance, absolutely unmistakable, was Sin. It was staring right at us. I think Jecht was ready to die at that point. He was tired, too.

"All right, we're going in!" Tidus shouted in command.

"You've been around Cid too much," I muttered. Rikku grinned at me.

"How we gonna get inside?" Wakka asked.

"The easy way! How else?" Tidus said.

"Figures," Rikku chirped, running toward us.

"Well? Let's go!" Lulu urged. Everyone seemed so eager to get this over with. Everyone but me. What I wouldn't have given for one more day...

Tidus nodded at Lulu, and then Yuna nodded as well. That was the signal to move it, so we did.

"Hey, how you plan on getting inside?" Cid shouted as we were leaving the bridge. I stopped with Tidus.

"If we can't get in through the mouth, we'll rip open a new one! You with me?" Tidus explained.

Cid let out a wild laugh, but I could tell he was still a bit nervous.

"Now that's what I call a plan!" he finally exclaimed after his fit of hysteria.

"Vydran! E ghuf fryd du ica! (Father! I know what to use!)" Brother announced.

"Translation please?" Tidus whispered quickly to me.

"He says he knows what to use," I whispered back just as quickly.

"Aha! Of course!" Cid bellowed.

"Of course!" Tidus and I echoed.

"All right! We'll give that thing a new blowhole," Cid explained. "All you gotta do is jump!"

"Roger!" Tidus cried.

"It's not a whale, y'know..." I muttered, shaking my head slowly.

"I won't tell ya to be careful. Do your worst, kiddo!"

"Roger!" he repeated just as enthusiastically.

"Fyed! (Wait!)" Brother cleared his throat, pausing a moment. "Rikku, you...guard," he said, and to my surprise, he was looking at _me_.

"Okay," I said, nodding once. "Don't worry."

"C'mon, let's get out there," Tidus urged me, dragging me away by the arm.

"Okay!"

Together we ran toward the deck, but Tidus stopped when we got to the highest level before.

"So...if we don't make it..." he started, sighing.

"We're gonna do this," I assured him. He sighed again.

"Still...thank you." He smiled at me. "I'm glad you came here. I just wish I could see you again."

"Me too," I said, smiling sadly. My insides were twisted in knots.

"I won't say goodbye," he said suddenly. "So, in the end-"

"See you later?" I finished for him. He nodded, smiling.

"Right."

}{}{}{

"I can hear the song!" Rikku cried while the party stood on deck.

"Yes, I can hear the Hymn, too," Lulu agreed, lifting her face toward the sky.

"They listened to us!" Rikku sounded cheerful and surprised at the same time.

"We won't let them down!" Tidus said, walking to the very edge. "Yuna? You don't need this anymore, right?" He flashed her the sphere she left in Mount Gagazet, and she gasped, shocked. She stammered in response, checking all of her pockets and stowaway places, but it was definitely her sphere.

"Right?" Tidus repeated, then chucked the sphere over the edge before she could reply. She paused, then nodded.

Suddenly the ship began to shake tremendously.

"Hey, guys?" Wakka said. "Guys? That's not good, ya?"

Everyone turned to see Sin creating a huge energy ball. It blasted right at them, bringing all eight of them to their knees. But Sin didn't stop there. The second energy ball shot through the earth and the water.

It seemed quiet, so Yuna, then Tidus, then Rikku stood.

Rikku was the first to notice the huge hole in the clouds. She saw the trail the energy blast had left in the earth. She gasped, and suddenly it began to explode. The blast knocked the three right back on to the deck.

Tidus slowly lifted his head, then stared straight into the face of Sin.

"Damn you, old man..." he murmured. This had to end.

"Hey, I saw somethin' shine on the base of Sin's arm!" Cid suddenly shouted over the loudspeaker, distracting Tidus for a moment. "I reckon its a weak spot!"

Everyone was back on their feet again, but the ship shook once more, and everyone collapsed.

"Cruud! (Shoot!)" Brother shouted.

"Fryd, fryd? (What, what?)" Cid shouted right back.

"Fa yna bimmat po Sin! (We are pulled by Sin!)" Brother replied as everyone stood again.

"Sin's pulling us in!" Rikku translated quickly.

"Everyone, back inside!" Cid ordered them, but it was too late, Sin was already right beside the airship, keeping up without any trouble.

"Duu myda! Ed lusac! (Too late! It comes!)" Brother cried.

The eight of them scattered across the deck, each getting their own angle at Sin. They would most definitely have to fight. Cid knew this too, so the ship moved closer to the "shiny" spot, and everyone wildly attacked, using whatever they could manage.

Luckily, it didn't take long to defeat it.

"Here goes! Everyone, hold on to something!" Cid ordered them, preparing the big gun. "Here we go!" The ship rumbled a bit as the cannons came out from below. It was a clean shot; Sin's left fin fell off entirely. So far, so good.

"Got it!" Tidus cheered.

"Couldn't have done it without you!" Cid added. "All right! Everyone look sharp! Time to hit the other side!"

"Easy for you to say!" Rikku exclaimed, panting.

"C'mon, we're halfway there!" Wakka told her.

"Oh-oh! Livin' on a prayer!" Dylan sang.

The right fin was defeated just as easily, and soon the cannons were back out, ready to fire.

"Nayto? Vena! (Ready? Fire!)" Cid commanded, and the lasers blasted Sin's fin completely off.

"Yeehaw!" Cid cheered. This was the most fun he'd had in a while. "Where next?"

"Ed ec ujan (It is over.)," Brother murmured.

"Fryd? Fa ryja uhmo pakih! (What? We have only begun!)" Cid argued.

"Pid dra syeh kih, ed ec pnugah! (But the main gun, it is broken!)"

"Dr-Dryd lyhhud pa! (Th-That cannot be!)"

}{}{}{

"The main gun's busted!" Rikku exclaimed, worried.

"But we did a lot without the gun!" I insisted. We could stay!

"Dang it!" Cid bellowed. "All right, back inside! Time for another plan!"

"No! We're going in!" Tidus commanded, lifting his face toward the sky. "Every blitzer knows: when you got the ball, you gotta score!"

"Then I'll see you on the field!" I shouted, sticking out my tongue and jumping off the ship. I could barely hear Tidus shout something back.

"Hey! Star players first!"

But it didn't matter. The rush of free-falling was incredible. Almost as incredible as what we were really accomplishing. Though I knew from the start it would work, it was still awesome.

Soon I could see Sin's scaly skin below me, so I landed as gently as I could. The others followed, Wakka landing on his butt.

As if in response to our arrival, the core on Sin's back swelled up.

"You want a fight?" I asked it.

"Youuuu got it!" Rikku finished for me, and we exchanged a hi-five. "What is it you always say?"

"It's biff time!" I cheered, shaking in excitement.

"Okay! Then that's what time it is!"

I think it helped that half of us knew the Ultima spell... We basically destroyed that thing in five minutes between the eight of us.

"Okay, and now we get off of this thing!" Rikku cried, running toward where Cid was waiting for us.

"We came, we biffed, and now we run!" Tidus added.

One by one, we jumped onto the airship as Sin fell down to the earth below. The citizens of Bevelle must've been so afraid for their lives at that point. I can't even imagine being that close to being crushed by Sin. Then again, I'd never imagined me being in Spira in the first place, so who knows?


	25. Chapter 25: Breaking Through

Chapter 25: Breaking Through (Song: youtube - watch?v=bq3kWdK061k)

FLASHBACK START

Dylan hated shopping so much. It was a little better with Emi and Trisha there, but anything beyond Target bugged her.

"C'mon, Dylan, prom is only three months from today!" Trisha squealed. "Just pick a dress!"

"No," Dylan insisted. "I'm wearing pants!"

"Oh come on," Emi sighed. "Don't make me pick for you like in eighth grade."

"Oh geez, never again!" Dylan laughed a little, and Emi smiled back.

Truth of it was, Emi was really the only one besides Addy that understood how Dylan felt about herself. She wasn't as pretty as her friends (mostly because she never tried). She didn't like to be fancy. She was more focused on being herself. That was an amazing breakthrough at the time. But by now, for Emi, it was just another fact.

"So, pick one, then," Emi said. "It doesn't have to be frilly."

Dylan paused, then sighed in defeat.

*What would I do without you?* she thought, glancing at Emi.

FLASHBACK END

"Rikku, aqlammahd! (Rikku, excellent!)" Brother exclaimed as we entered the bridge again. Rikku was nearly dancing out of her shoes.

"It's going to come back, isn't it?" Yuna murmured, closing her eyes in thought.

"I know," Tidus replied.

"What?" Cid barked. "You're kidding me!"

"Like we would," I pointed out.

"We have to beat the guy inside Sin," Tidus explained.

"The Crusaders would be out of a job if it was this easy," Wakka added.

"But it has weakened," Lulu said, bringing the conversation back to the lighter side. "I'm sure of it."

"Yeah! We're winning!" Rikku cried proudly.

"All right, I'll do what I can with the main gun!" He sounded proud as well, like he wanted to please his daughter even more.

It was quiet after that, so Cid walked briskly out of the bridge and into the corridors. Yuna soon followed him, and before long, Tidus followed her.

}{}{}{

Tidus found Yuna a while later out on the deck of the ship. She was staring out into the sky, lost in thought. But she heard his footsteps, and that comforted her enough to make her speak.

"I wonder if Sir Jecht is in pain," she said.

"Let's just end this...quickly," Tidus said. "The fayth said they would help us, right?"

"It bothers me, the way they said that."

"Huh?"

"I mean, they've been fighting alongside us this whole time," she explained, "but now they say they'll help?"

"I guess so..."

"Wait!" Yuna had a thought, an epiphany. "Sin is reborn when Yu Yevon merges with an aeon, isn't that right? If I summon an aeon, Yu Yevon will join with it. But at first, it'll be small, won't it?"

"Yeah..." Tidus caught on. "Then, we might be able to defeat Sin without the Final Summoning."

"I don't know." Yuna paused. "What if Yu Yevon jumps again?"

"Then we'll take it down again! We'll fight him until there's no place left to run!"

"I never thought it would come down to this," Yuna murmured quietly.

"Yeah, I know," Tidus agreed, not quite as melancholy. "Hey, the fayth, they're tired of this whole thing, too. Let's let them rest."

"The fayth said it's pointless to keep dreaming," Yuna said slowly, knowing Tidus had answers. "The dream will disappear, he said. What did he mean? And what is it that Yu Yevon is summoning from within Sin?"

"The dream of the fayth," Tidus replied just as slowly.

"You won't...go away, will you?" Yuna asked him, lowering her head.

Before he could answer, Rikku's voice blared through the loudspeaker.

"Yunie! Guys! Come look!" she cried. "Something's happening to Sin!"

Tidus and Yuna turned toward Bevelle to hear Sin's roar. It slowly pushed itself up, sprouting glistening, silver wings. With surprising grace and gentleness, it flew up to the Tower of Light and sat there, waiting. Tidus knew then that it had to end soon. Jecht couldn't take much more.

}{}{}{

"I wonder how it stays like that," Rikku said, turning her head sideways to get a better look at Sin.

"Wouldn't it just crush that thing?" I agreed, squinting. "It must weigh a million pounds!"

"Quiet, you two," Cid scolded us. We grinned at each other.

"Jecht... He's waiting for you," Auron said suddenly. I then knew Tidus and Yuna were back.

"Well, son, the main gun is still busted!" Cid warned Tidus. "We can't give you any cover fire!"

"Hey, just take us in," Tidus told him. "We'll do the rest." Tidus looked at us for reassurance, and we nodded, smiling, ready for the end. Just like him.

"All right," Cid confirmed, now addressing Brother. "Take us up, flush to the mouth! No mistakes, or I'm gonna tear out that mop you call hair!"

"Trust...me," Brother replied. "Me...take you there. No problem...ya?"

"Oh no, your brother sounds like Wakka!" I told Rikku. She grinned.

"Let's get ready to blitz!" Tidus cheered.

"Biff!" Rikku and I corrected him.

"Whatever! Let's just do this, ya?" Wakka shouted.

"To the bridge!" Kimahri barked, and we followed him, somehow managing to keep up with his large strides.

Soon we were back on the deck-again-and Sin was staring at us-again-waiting to fight us-again.

"Here we go!" Cid shouted.

"Yeah!" Tidus cried. "I'm coming for you, Dad!"

"We can defeat this just like before!" I shouted. Suddenly the ship rumbled.

"Hey! What's goin' on?" Wakka yelped.

"We're being pulled in by Sin again," Lulu stated.

"Well, whatever! That just makes this easier!" Tidus cried.

}{}{}{

Even though its face was destroyed, Sin managed to pull the airship inside safely.

It was surprisingly beautiful in there. Pyreflies danced around the group, as if to welcome them. Rikku spun around cheerfully, following the pyreflies. But suddenly the calm, blue sky turned an angry red, and Seymour's eye flashed before each of them. There was a moment when suddenly the ship rushed forward through the pupil, and everything became turbulent and horrible, but it ended just as quickly as it began. Soon they were floating through a tranquil abyss.

"Dad! Where are you?" Tidus cried the moment he was on the ground.

"We must go to him," Auron said.

"Then we will! Let me take front!" Tidus ran ahead of everyone else.

"Good luck," Yuna said as he passed her.

Without a thanks or any acknowledgement whatsoever, Tidus cried, "Follow me!"

So they did.

The group must've wandered hours upon hours through the misty pathways inside of Sin, battling fiends here and there, stopping every so often to rest a little. By far, it was the most epic part of their journey so far...and the journey was almost over.

"Ohhhh, geez," Dylan moaned after hours of silence. But she had every right to. There, just ahead, was Seymour himself. He laughed when he saw them. Tidus was the first to run forward. This was another thing he was _ready_ to _end_!

"Don't you ever give up?" he snapped at the unsent.

"Sin has chosen me," Seymour hissed in glee. "I am part of Sin. I am one with Sin, forever. Immortal!"

"Sin just absorbed you," Tidus pointed out.

"I will learn to control it, from within. I have all the time in the world. Since you were gracious enough to dispose of Yunalesca..." Seymour's form began to change as he spoke. "...the only means of destroying Sin is forever gone. Now nothing can stop us!"

"Well, we can!" Tidus said.

"By all means, try!" Seymour cried in a crazed voice, his form reappearing in a new shape. "You should thank me! Your death means your father's life!"

Four panels glowed around Seymour's form, each one having four colored circles on it.

"Those circles represent the elements," Dylan explained as the group prepared to attack. "We can plan our moves from there!"

}{}{}{

"So this is going to be my kind of battle, right?" Lulu joked, smiling. I nodded.

"It's all you," I replied, nodding back. "You say it now!"

"It's biff time."

"Alright!" Rikku and I cried, pumping our fists in the air.

The panels rotated to show red.

"That's fire!" I shouted, pointing. "So, yeah! You know what to do!"

"BLIZZARD!" Rikku cried, shooting her newly learned magic at Seymour. "Bwahahahahaha!"

"Please...Lulu...just finish this now before she freaks me out any more," Tidus said, laughing.

"I wonder what would happen if we all did Ultima at the same time," I suggested. At that point, everyone had learned the spell, and we had fought enough fiends that we knew what we were doing.

"Okay!" Yuna cheered. I was surprised at that. But maybe she was just as excited to kill her ex-husband as the rest of us. "Three, two, one!"

"BOOM!" Wakka shouted, laughing.

The spells all shot off toward Seymour and exploded in a blinding white light. The wind knocked me over, but I probably would've fallen anyway, seeing as I was laughing too hard for words. Finally, I was getting to destroy the most annoying video game character ever! _In person_!

When the light cleared, only Seymour in his human form was left. He staggered backward, then collapsed to his knees.

"No!" he murmured, clutching where his heart used to be.

"Now!" Wakka shouted, finally serious again. "Yuna, send him!"

"Right!" Yuna cried, ready as ever. She walked over in front of Seymour with pride, readying her rod. And, to everyone's delight (except Seymour's, of course), she began to send him.

"So it is you, after all, who will send me," Seymour murmured. Yuna continued without a word, not even starting to hesitate. "But even after I am gone, Spira's sorrow will prevail."

"Now _that's_ a sight for sore eyes," I said happily as Seymour burst into light and pyreflies.

"Sin will be right behind you," Tidus added, much more serious.

*As will Jecht,* I thought as he walked away. *And as will you.*


	26. Chapter 26:  Father and Son

Chapter 26: Father and Son (Song: youtube - watch?v=y3IxVy_tuAI)

FLASHBACK START

"Addy, do you hate parent-teacher night as much as I do?"

Addison glanced at his younger sister, who had been forced to wear a dress by their mother. She looked pretty uncomfortable.

"Well... It's not so bad," he replied, tying his shoes.

"Really?"

"Well...with Dad? It's different, y'know?" Addison shrugged. "I guess it's just a guy thing. I mean, we don't have to communicate much to understand each other. So it's less easy to get into an argument with him."

"Yeah..." Dylan shrugged as well. "I guess that makes sense."

"You'll understand someday," Addison assured her, walking out of the room. "When you're older."

"Yeah, cause you're soooo much older than me!" Dylan shouted after him, chasing him down.

FLASHBACK END

"On your maaaaark, get seeeeet..." I said when we entered the "The Nucleus" area. "GO!"

"Wait, what are we doing again?" Tidus asked me, laughing.

"We're finding items. We can't go on until we collect them all," I explained again, grinning.

"Oh! Oh!" Rikku cried, waving her hand around in the air. "And you can't get caught standing still, otherwise the fiends'll get ya!"

"Very good." I patted her on the head. "Just for that, you go first."

Rikku cheered as she ran off into the shining light. The others followed her quickly, and I stayed back a little.

I was on a mission; I was trying to make my last moments in Spira as fun as possible. I didn't want to even think about what was going to happen next. I wasn't sure if my heart could handle the pain in real life. Watching the scene in the game was bad enough.

"Three!" I heard Wakka shout.

"Four!" Rikku shouted back. "Hehe, it's raining weapons! Don't get stabbed!" She let out an evil cackle, leaving Wakka standing there with a "wtf?" expression on his face.

I was glad they actually were enjoying themselves. Maybe they were thinking the same thing as me. Maybe they just wanted to rip the bandaid off, too, instead of slowly pulling on it. Just to get it over with.

"Six!" Yuna cried, excited to have actually gotten something.

"Awww, I'm no good at this!" Tidus groaned, ducking around like a kid on an Easter egg hunt.

"Seven!" Lulu said. Tidus groaned again.

"Hey! You're not even helping!" Wakka shouted at me, pointing his finger accusingly.

I sighed. "Fine, you win."

"Yeah, you find the last one!" Rikku demanded.

"No, let me!" Tidus shouted, racing around.

"Let's race!" I decided, and the game was suddenly more intense.

I found the item at the same time Tidus did, only I knew what I was doing; he just got lucky.

"RAH!" he cried, diving for it.

"NOOO!" I shouted, sprinting to grab it.

The next thing I knew, my body slammed into Tidus, shooting the item up into the air (gotta love physics). As if to protest our rowdiness, the item landed safely in Auron's arms. He grunted, unamused as we staggered to our feet, checking for broken bones or loose teeth.

"We go now," Auron commanded us.

}{}{}{

Tidus glanced back at Dylan before he entered the next "room." That was probably the last fun thing he would ever do on Spira. With anyone. With her.

But she smiled, and that pushed him forward.

There was just a shadow of a man waiting for them, but Tidus knew it was his dad. Auron knew, too, and stepped forward.

"You're late, Auron," said the growly, low voice. Yes, this was definitely Jecht. His back was facing them, but it didn't matter. Auron was the one who had promised Jecht. No one else.

"I know," Auron said in reply. Well, of course. Did Jecht really expect him to do all of this on time?

Finally, Jecht turned around. He looked just like Tidus remembered him.

"Hey," he said, waving to his son.

"Hi," Tidus responded coldly.

"Hah! You got tall, but you're all bones! You eating right, boy?" Jecht paused for a moment, then his voice became soft and kind. "You've really grown."

"Yeah, but you're still bigger," Tidus said, not even looking at his father. He didn't understand why his dad was suddenly being so...sentimental.

"Well, I am Sin, you know," Jecht joked back dryly.

"That's not funny." It was too bad that Tidus had all these harsh feelings for his dad. But really, he realized, it was for the better. After all, his dad was only going to die anyway. It was better to disconnect himself from such things.

"Well, then..." Jecht scratched his neck nervously, just like Tidus. "I mean...you know." Finally, he cracked his knuckles, regaining his confidence. "Let's end this."

"Dad?" Tidus suddenly called out in half a whisper.

"Yeah?" Jecht grunted.

"I hate you," Tidus said quickly.

To everyone's surprise (except, of course, Dylan's), Jecht chuckled.

"I know, I know," he murmured. "You know what you have to do."

"Yeah," Tidus said, finally looking his dad straight in the eye with confidence.

"I can't hear the Hymn so well anymore. Pretty soon, I'm gonna be Sin. Completely," Jecht admitted. "I'm glad you're here now. One thing, though... When it starts, I won't be myself anymore. I won't be able to hold myself back. I'm sorry."

"That's enough," Tidus snapped suddenly, his voice loud and somewhat hysterical. "Let's finish this, okay?"

"You're right." Jecht then turned and walked away, toward the middle of the platform they were standing on. "Well, then... Let's go!"

Suddenly Jecht raised his arms in the air, his chest glowing strangely. But then his arms lowered, and trance-like he backed up more and more, getting closer and closer to the edge. Tidus jumped into action; he ran toward his father, his hand oustretched to grab him. But Jecht fell off the edge and into the swirling abyss below, just before Tidus could've reached him.

The platform then began to rumble. Tidus noticed the buildings around them light up in response. It was happening. This was the cliche "beginning of the end" he had always feared. Tidus had not moved from his spot where he watched Jecht fall, and he wasn't going to until he knew it was okay.

}{}{}{

A giant, fiery hand clamped onto the platform, crushing Tidus...which was kind of funny, except that it was his own father.

Braska's Final Aeon was any pyro's heaven. The entire body was engulfed in eternal flame. Even the ice-blue eyes looked like they were on fire.

"My father's...final aeon," Yuna whispered behind me.

"The final aeon of them all!" I assured her, turning to face her. "We can do this!"

Jecht uprighted himself, towering above the eight of us. Tidus drew his sword.

"I promise this'll be quick!" he cried. "Hit me with all you got, Dad!"

"Alright, what do we do, ya?" Wakka asked me. I huffed a sigh. Still helpless without me, apparently.

"See the little pillars? They heal Jecht," I explained, pointing with both hands outstretched. "We're going to have to use Zombie-based attacks and-"

Suddenly beams came out at us as an attack. But what was probably supposed to be a group attack just ended up blasting my hands.

"MOTHER ****!" I screamed, pulling my hands in toward my body. I was not expecting that! The pain was absolutely _seering_!

"Dylan! What just happened?" Lulu asked me, rushing to my side.

"I dunno-ahhh, nuts."

My hands were completely numb from the pain when I held them out in front of me again to inspect them. They were both covered in blood from my wrists to my finger tips, so I couldn't tell where the main wounds were at first. But after a few moments I saw where the lasers had grazed my hands on top and on the palm side.

Yeeeeesh.

"Here," Yuna said, pouring a hi-potion on them. The blood disappeared, but the marks stayed.

*Great,*I thought to myself. *More scars. Just what I need after this journey!*

"Thank you," I murmured, smiling at her. She smiled back.

"C'mon, let's finish this!" she said, standing upright again.

"You're right." I straightened up, too, smirking. "Yuna, summon Bahamut. Let's make this quick."

I knew by now, after all we had been through and fought, that Yuna was powerful enough to finish this fight with just this aeon.

"Okay," she said obediently, and so she began to summon.

}{}{}{

Yuna's heart was thundering in her chest as she brought forth her most powerful aeon, Bahamut. She knew this could really make or break her friends in this battle. Though her aeon was powerful, so was Jecht. It was up to luck.

"Be brave," she told the aeon as it roared, flying to her side.

As the aeon started to attack with its powerful overdrive, Yuna stood back and watched, staring at her father's final aeon.

Of course, this would be the last time she would ever summon Bahamut or any of her aeons to fight for her...ever.

She could hardly believe she was at this point. She never thought in her wildest dreams it would end this way. Sure, the addition of guardians to her list had grown, which was unexpected, and the whole Seymour thing was a bit ridiculous as well.

But Yuna just couldn't understand what went so wrong with Yevon. Or...maybe it was never quite right to begin with. She didn't really know; she didn't fully understand.

Deep in her heart, Yuna was actually a little bit angry.

Discovering this truth about Yevon and Spira was so incredibly painful. It basically meant that her father's struggle was completely in vain. It was just part of the supposedly endless cycle of death that Spira was built around. What she wanted to be endless was the hope in Spira, though. She wanted to just destroy Sin for good.

It was too bad that Jecht was involved in all of this as well. He wasn't really a bad man-though he probably wasn't the best, either...

Yuna glanced at Tidus just before Jecht was blasted with the formidable attack.

He was the good thing that came out of Jecht being Sin, though, she realized, frowning a little. But she was worried. The conversation that she had had with the fayth in Bevelle made her uneasy. Dylan's reaction only confirmed her greatest fear: Tidus was an unsent.

She also kind of figured that Auron was, too. After she watched the scene in Zanarkand with Yunalesca and the younger Auron...well, it seemed to her that Auron had met his end there. Yes, Auron was most definitely an unsent.

Yuna then looked at Dylan, who gestured to Tidus, letting him get the final hit in to destroy the aeon for good.

Yuna wasn't so sure about Dylan. She didn't think that her friend was an unsent, but there was a pretty good chance Dylan would not be staying past the last battle, either. After all, this wasn't her home world. She was supposed to be somewhere else. She just ended up here to...

Well, that was a good point. Why _was_ Dylan there? To guide them? She had definitely done a great job of that! Without her they would've had a lot more trouble during fights. She knew the strategy to everything.

But surely that wasn't her only purpose? Maybe that was something they'd never figure out.

"It's over!" Rikku cried suddenly. Yuna perked up.

Sure enough, Yuna could see the symbol that Jecht and Tidus always were clad in glowing in the background of the battle scene. The giant sword Jecht had been holding was shoved into the platform; it seemed to be propping Jecht up for support. But that didn't last long... Soon the aeon crashed forward and disappeared into pyreflies.

And suddenly the human Jecht appeared before them all one more time.


	27. Chapter 27: This is my story

Chapter 27: This is my story. (Song: youtube - watch?v=Z8gDOkrEhQM)

FLASHBACK START

Miss Mcknappland shook her head slowly.

"Just tell me, did I pass?" Dylan asked her as she handed back the short story assignment.

"Barely." Dylan sighed in relief; Miss Mcknappland sighed in frustration.

"Dylan, you really are a good writer," Miss Mcknappland said. "You just don't try. You had a great character set up, an intriguing plot...but you stopped there and just wrote a bunch of words together to make sentences."

"Isn't that what writing is?" Dylan said quizzically.

"In its most basic sense, yes. But this is just that: basic. Writing is about expanding and expressing your creativity, which I know you have. You just need to apply yourself."

"Well, what if this is how I wanted my story to be?" Dylan said defensively, smacking her hand on top of her paper. "After all, I wrote it. I created it. Aren't you just shutting down my creative liberties?"

Miss Mcknappland sighed once more.

"I'm not going to argue with you. You know I'm right."

FLASHBACK END

Tidus watched helplessly for a moment as his father stumbled forward a bit, then crashed to his knees. But then Tidus realized he could actually move still, and so he ran to catch Jecht before he fell.

Gently, Tidus layed his father on his back so that they could look at each other. One...last time. There was a strange, piercing guilt inside of Tidus in that moment, but he shook it away. It was too late for such remorse.

"You'll cry. You're gonna cry. You always cry," Jecht chanted almost methodically. Tidus felt his throat close up. "See? You're cryin'."

Tidus shook his head quickly, but the tears came anyway, streaming quickly and harshly down his cheeks.

"I hate you, Dad," he said through gritted teeth, his breathing in short gasps. But he was still gentle as he placed his father on the cold stone platform floor.

"Save it for later," Jecht muttered to him as he stood.

"Right..." Tidus still had tears in his voice. "We've got a job to do, don't we?"

"Good. That's right," Jecht said, sounding truly pleased as he sat upright. "You are my son, after all."

"You know...for the first time, I'm glad...to have you as my father," Tidus slowly admitted with a small smile. It was too bad that they were just now getting along.

"Heh," Jecht chuckled in response.

}{}{}{

"Sir Jecht..." Yuna murmured, stepping forward suddenly. I wanted to smack her for interrupting the scene. "I should..."

"No, Yuna, there's no time!" Jecht insisted, struggling to stand.

Suddenly we heard a breeze-like sound, and we could soon see Yu Yevon flying around us, getting closer and closer with each swoop.

"You stay away!" Tidus yelled, swatting at the mysterious enigma. ...Well, that's what it was! Only I knew what it looked like at that point! It _was_ mysterious!

"Yuna, you know what to do," Jecht said in a low voice. "The aeons..."

"We aeons..."

We all turned to see the boy fayth from Bevelle once more, standing there with us. I wished I had known his real name. Of all the help he gave us, he never gave his name. Unless, of course, his name was Bahamut. I suppose that could've been true.

"Call them!" Jecht commanded us. Those were his last words.

"Call us!" the fayth agreed. Also his last words.

That was an issue with, you see. I had no idea what to say to these amazing people before I left them for good. There was so much I had left to say!

Suddenly Jecht fell forward onto the ground. Tidus stood completely still, staring in a mix of anger and sadness. Yu Yevon's flying became more frantic as Jecht disappeared into pyreflies. The end was upon us.

We all stood there in silence for a moment, stunned. Jecht...Braska's Final Aeon...Tidus' own father... We had just killed him. We had killed Sin, albeit temporarily. There were still aeons to destroy, and of course Yu Yevon.

"Yes," Yuna murmured, nodding. Her answer came a bit late if I do say so myself, but I think it took a minute for the shock to disappate.

She then turned to look up at the sky, her eyes searching for Yu Yevon, who gladly swooped down in reply, ready to attack.

"Here it comes!" Lulu cried, narrowing her eyes.

}{}{}{

Yu Yevon's figure swooped down not on the party, but upon Jecht's giant sword. A ring of red light blasted out when they touched, and they were all swept up into it.

Moments later, they awoke to find themselves in a new, even stranger place than before. There was nothing around them but a pale, peach-pink light. There were no floors, just endless space. The only reason they were able to stand there and not float around or fall was because Jecht's giant sword had become their new battle platform.

It was bright enough that they could see Yu Yevon flying around them much more clearly. It appeared to be just a giant ball of darkness with a trail of red light following it like a comet's trail.

Slowly everyone got to their feet again, looking around in wonder.

"Yuna!" Tidus cried when he saw her turn around. She seemed fine...she seemed _ready_.

She nodded and flung her arms out to her sides, summoning her aeons for the final time.

It was sad, really. She had worked so hard to train them all. But now she could help them by giving them eternal rest. Peace at last.

Valefor was the first to fly down for the summoner. Its large wings allowed it to move about with ease, and it gracefully landed before the party, seeming absolutely fine. Then Yu Yevon attacked.

The fiend swooped down toward Valefor, and before the aeon could even make a move, it had become possessed. Valefor glowed strangely, and any peaceful gaze it could've given was now completely gone. In fact, it looked ready to die. Yuna frowned. This would be harder than she had anticipated.

Nevertheless, she got to work right away. Her Holy spell blasted the bird-like aeon in one hit, bringing it down the ground. Pyreflies escaped it, along with Yu Yevon.

Yuna's hands gripped her staff tightly, but she summoned the next aeon anyway. There was no time for hesitation.

A familiar circular flame appeared before Yuna a moment later, and soon Ifrit came from below the ground. He looked up as if expecting to catch Yuna on his shoulder like always. But then the aeon realized what was going on. It let out a still powerful roar and stood before the summoner bravely.

Yu Yevon was quick to possess the once docile aeon. Ifrit's bright orange fur became green and sick-looking. He also had the same look that Valefor had, a look that said he was done and wanted to die. Holy wasn't quite enough to kill Ifrit, since he was more powerful. But Auron quickly slashed through the aeon, ending its existance once and for all. Ifrit fell to the ground and faded into pyreflies. Yu Yevon escaped as well. Two down, three to go.

}{}{}{

Other than the very end of Final Fantasy X, this was my absolute least favorite part. Killing all those aeons you worked sooooo hard to make amazingly strong. It was beyond comprehension.

Yuna, who was across from the rest of us, lowered her head sadly.

*Keep going,* I wanted to tell her. *Just get this part over with.*

Thankfully, Yuna stood strong, ready to summon her next aeon, which I assumed would be Ixion. Sure enough, Ixion was next to appear from the sky. That mighty creature had no idea that it was about to be destroyed for good.

Yu Yevon's dark shadow crept into Ixion with ease, just like the previous aeons. Ixion was creepy looking enough to begin with, but being possessed gave it an even eerier appearance. Its white mane was now an ugly reddish color, and its ribcage was tinted green.

Yuna once again cast Holy, and to finish the job, Lulu reluctantly cast Waterga. Ixion dropped to its knees. It looked so sad! I couldn't believe that I'd never noticed that before.

"Two more," I saw Yuna mouth to herself. I sighed quietly. I guess it ended being a good thing that we didn't go around and collect the other aeons. Then again, I didn't want Anima in our party anyway. I was still a little twitchy from that battle back in Macalania Temple.

Yuna flung out her arms again to summon, and I knew Shiva would be next. Shiva was my favorite besides Bahamut. I always wished I looked like her. Actually, my favoritism of her came from the fact that she snaps with her left hand, just like me. I wish I could've met her fayth in person.

The platform shook as large ice crystals flew down from the endless sky. Shiva floated down as well, graceful as ever. With an effortless flick of the wrist, she ripped off her cloak while shattering the ice crystals around her.

Maybe if she had kept those there, Yu Yevon wouldn't have attacked.

But he did, and Shiva's once beautiful, pale blue skin turned green in response.

Yuna wasn't so quick to cast Holy this time, and Shiva shot us with ice. It hurt more than I expected, but I was still kind of numb from that battle with Jecht. I felt sorry for the others.

"I'm sorry," Yuna murmured, casting Holy on the ice princess. Lulu quickly casted Firaga. That was enough, and Shiva dropped to one knee in defeat. She slowly faded into pyreflies.

Man...as many times as I have seen people and things turn into pyreflies, I will never get used to the sight of it.

Yuna healed herself and the rest of us quickly before summoning her final aeon, Bahamut. I was sorry to see this one go. It had helped us out on so many battles.

But then I remembered the little boy fayth that was Bahamut's spirit. I wanted to let him rest. It wasn't fair to grovel like that. He just wanted peace. Don't we all?

}{}{}{

The words "one more" seemed to ring in Yuna's mind as she finally summoned her most powerful aeon of all, Bahamut. This aeon had become her favorite. It was so useful and could just wipe out anything in its path. And such a spirit, too...

But all of the aeons had to die. Including this one.

Bahamut crashed down onto the platform, roaring proudly. It seemed ready even for death. Maybe that little boy fayth knew exactly what was about to happen.

Yu Yevon, for the last time, swooped in and possessed Bahamut without hesitation. The large aeon's body turned from navy to green, and its wings altered colors completely.

Yuna knew she had to do this quickly, before the aeon hurt her friends, so she cast Holy and hoped for the best. When the spell had ended, Bahamut was still standing, and it roared triumphantly. She sighed, frustrated.

Suddenly a blur of a person caught her eye, and she saw Dylan run forward and basically...to put it simply, beat the sh!t out of Bahamut. It roared, angry. But Dylan kept going, and soon Auron and Tidus were with her. The three that would leave as well. Yuna hated it so.

The three warriors backed up quickly as Bahamut fell face forward in defeat. It faded away into pyreflies, and Yuna exhaled quickly, relieved. But unfortunately, the worst wasn't over. She cringed in realization of this. If only she could pause this moment...or just hit "reset" and decide not to be a summoner in the first place.

But...but falling in love...was worth it.


	28. Chapter 28:  The Final March

Chapter 28: The Final March (Song: youtube - watch?v=Fu4fX_-m3Rs) ((I consider this song to be the theme of SOS, so please listen and enjoy. :D))

FLASHBACK START

"Wahhhhh!" Trisha shrieked in joy, bouncing around. "I can't believe we just marched the last time in our freshman year!"

Dylan grinned, nodding. Sweat was pouring from underneath her hat.

"But it won't be the last time ever!" Emi pointed out, panting in excitement. "We still have three more years to march here!"

She gestured to the large dome they were standing in, where marching band state finals were held, among other things...

"Yeah, don't be sad yet!" Dylan teased her. "You can't be sad until we're seniors!"

"Hah, yeah, I guess you're right," Trisha admitted. "But I can't help it. It's still another passing memory for us. We'll never march with this same group again."

Dylan frowned a little. Trisha had a decent point. Sam (Dylan's section leader at the time) would never march with her again. She would miss that.

But she knew she couldn't focus on that. There were still things ahead of her that she had to look forward to. So she forced herself to smile. After all, this was just the beginning.

FLASHBACK END

Yuna wanted to cry. She had just destroyed all of her aeons. All of them! She could never get them back! And she had worked so hard, and put her friends' lives in danger...just to get them. And now they were gone.

And now there was one more battle. She would either have to kill Yu Yevon...or die herself... Luckily, she happened to have seven amazingly powerful guardians at her command, so things were probably going to go fine. Especially considering one of them knew exactly how to beat every enemy they'd ever come across. That was definitely a plus.

Suddenly Yu Yevon's glowing outline came into everyone's view. The dark essence that surrounded it disappeared, revealing...what? What was this supposed to be?

"How appropriate," Auron said with a smirk.

"Yu Yevon is just a tick!" Rikku cried, sounding both amused and horrified at the same time.

"It's symbolic, du-uh," Dylan said, rolling her eyes playfully. "Either way, we're taking it down, right?"

Everyone cheered except Tidus. Yuna stared at him as he scratched the back of his head nervously. He didn't really want to have to make this sort of announcement, especially when everything was going so perfectly.

"Everyone!" Immediately they stopped cheering and turned to him. He paused. "This is the last time we fight together, okay?" he told them kindly.

"Huh?" Wakka grunted, furrowing his brow.

Tidus stepped forward, not taking his eyes off of Yuna. She stared back. This was going to be it, the moment she had been dreading.

"What I'm trying to say is...after we beat Yu Yevon, I'll disappear!"

"What are you talking about?" Lulu snapped, totally disbelieving. Tidus ignored her, still staring at Yuna.

Though she had totally been expecting this, it still hit Yuna hard. She could practically feel her heart breaking, smashing, being crushed and shattered. And she wasn't alone.

}{}{}{

By far, this was the most painful part of the journey. Even Macalania couldn't top this... The hell-bending reality: I would never see him again.

"I'm saying goodbye!" he exclaimed, walking past us and drawing his sword.

"Not now!" Rikku whimpered.

"I know it's selfish...but this is my story!"

"It's not just your story!" I shouted to him, taking a few hesitant steps forward. I heard a few gasps at my response. "It's not just your story," I repeated, and he turned to look at me.

"You're right," he murmured, pursing his lips.

"What are you saying?" Rikku gasped, trotting to my side.

"I...I'm leaving too. After this battle," I told them, closing my eyes. I willed myself to stay calm, and for once, it was working. I slowly opened my eyes to see everyone in even more shock.

"What? You too?" Wakka shouted, smacking his hand to his forehead.

"Yeah," I said, nodding. "I'm sorry. I don't know...I don't know if I'll ever see you again! But!" The willing of calm was not working anymore. "But I love you all so much, and thank you!" Little tears escaped my eyes. "Thank you!"

"Thank _you_," Yuna said, her face contorted in an effort not to cry or freak out. I smiled at her, and she loosened up and smiled back.

"Alright...now, let's finish this story! Our stories!" I cried, running forward to join Tidus. This would be the fastest battle yet. How ironic...the one occasion I wanted time to stop...

}{}{}{

Yuna inhaled deeply several times, but her exhales came out as short gasps. She was shaking all over. This was it. Her journey was about to end.

She looked around at all of her friends. They had been so faithful to her. Always there, ready to help her, follow her, no matter what kind of stupid decisions she made. Nothing would ever be the same after this moment. She wanted to make it last.

"If you want to kill this thing really fast..." Dylan suddenly was telling Yuna. She blinked. "...just turn it into a zombie and use a phoenix down." Dylan shrugged. "But I totally understand if you don't want to just waste this moment."

Yuna smiled, and Dylan smiled back. They were totally mutual on that. It was obvious Dylan was struggling to come to terms with her own reality. At least Yuna could stay in Spira.

She turned back to the parasitic creature. Yu Yevon...huh. How symbolic. Yu Yevon had truly been like a parasite all these years. Taking aeons and controlling them until a new one came along, then it would just change forms. It had no _real_ form. It had _no other purpose_. Yuna kind of wondered what the original summoner looked like. How old was he? Was he young, like her? Surely not; she couldn't _imagine_ being a summoner for that long!

Casting Holy on the beast creature, Yuna sighed. She really just wanted to kick Yu Yevon in the face, but it had no face, so that wasn't going to happen.

Still, it made Yuna so angry just thinking about it. Without Yu Yevon, her father would still be alive. So would Auron. So would Jecht. And so would Tidus. The only downside is that she and Tidus would probably never have met. Or if they had, they never would've been anything more than friends.

Also, Yuna never would've met Dylan. Sin would've never have attacked her world. She would've lived in peace for her whole life.

}{}{}{

I guess I should've been more angry at that point. You know, thinking along the lines of "Why did this happen to me? I wish I would've never come here!"

But the strange thing was...I didn't feel that way at all. Sure, there were definitely some sour notes along this trip, but there were a lot of grand times as well. And though I knew the ending would be absolutely incredibly hard to bear, I was pretty much ready for it.

No, I didn't have a plan. But I had come to terms with the fact that Tidus and I were never going to see each other again. I would never ride in an airship again. I would never hang out with Yuna and Rikku again.

At least, that's what I thought at the time, but that's a whole other story.

"Don't worry," I told Yuna. "We can't die in this battle. Give it all you got."

She nodded obediently. Her face showed her story on it. I wondered if mine was that badly obvious.

Lulu cast Ultima on Yu Yevon's tick-like body. It was almost dead. I could tell because its little tentacles were waving around frantically.

It kind of reminded me of an octopus.

Anyway, Auron went forward to take the last shot. The last swing of his sword that he'd ever give. But this battle was going to end much more easily than his other one with Yunalesca.

Suddenly Yu Yevon glowed a lavender color, then dark again, the symbol of Yevon appearing on its body. The tiny red lights that had served as its comet-like trail before now circled around it, then blasted into to it. Yu Yevon was engulfed in reddish-orange light as it slowly died away. A single bright pyrefly flew out, free at last after all these years. Only one. That's how ghostly Yu Yevon was.

The towers surrounding Yu Yevon all briskly lined up in perfect formation, then slowly began to close in on Yu Yevon's empty tick body. They crashed into it, sending out a radiant white light across the area.

Ohhhh, geez. It was over.

}{}{}{

Meanwhile, in Besaid, everyone had gathered to wait for either the end of Sin, or the end of the world. Everyone was there. It wasn't just the natives. Though the entirety of the Besaid Aurochs-besides Wakka and Tidus, of course-was present as well.

Maechen was there with the Chocobo Knights, sharing with them stories of old times. Before this moment, they wouldn't have listened. But now that was the only thing to free their minds of troubles ahead.

Suddenly the Aurochs began to cheer and clap in excitement. The Knights and other natives looked up into the night sky and gasped, overjoyed. Even the chocobo was excited.

With a salute, the Knights stared into the sky, their hope eternally renewed. For in the distance, they could see a bright light of peace. Sin had been destroyed.

Inside the temples, the people danced and laughed freely for the first time. Though their religion was destroyed, they were filled with hope for the future.

Even deeper inside each temple, the aeons that rested there began to change their form. Their colors faded, and soon they were nothing more than dirt-brown statues, resting beneath the surface. Those fayth were gone.

Bevelle's temple was no different; the aeon of Bahamut transformed into an earthly statue. The little boy fayth watched in joy. He was ready for this. He'd already been waiting too long. Slowly he faded away, away to peace. He could stop dreaming at last.

All over the world that night, people watched as their source of great pain, Sin, disappeared for good. Some people didn't believe it. Others were overjoyed.

But even to the nonbelievers, this was a great sign of eternal hope.

Yuna had accomplished her mission.

But, unfortunately...even with such an amazing act, there came consequences that no one that young should have to face.


	29. Chapter 29:  Morning Glow, Mark 2

Chapter 29: Morning Glow, Mark 2 (Song: youtube - watch?v=WBejRS6jwWg)

FLASHBACK START

Dylan loved marching band so much. This was her absolute favorite part.

She loved waking up super early in the morning for a competition. Strange, yes, because she was definitely not a morning person. But this was different.

She was up at four this particular morning. It had just stopped raining. The sun wasn't even up yet. Neither were her parents. But she rose early to watch the sunrise. They were always even more spectacular after a rainstorm.

Dylan sat on the window seat in her bedroom for a long time, gazing out at the brilliant night sky. There were so many stars. It had become a clear night.

And then, it slowly began. A pinkish-purple light began to push its way above all the houses on her street. The light turned more orange, and then, the sun appeared, awake, ready.

So Dylan was, too.

Here, awake...ready.

FLASHBACK END

The party had appeared back in the Blitzball stadium inside of Sin after their epic battle. It was over, and now the end was beginning to take shape.

The first thing Yuna had to do was send Auron. She hated it so much. But he had said so, and she had known so, so she danced about, just like always. Her last sending. Forever.

She suddenly turned to see Auron fading into pyreflies. Everyone stared at him, their eyes sad.

"Don't stop," he said in a tired, raspy voice.

"But I..." Yuna started. How could she even think to send him? Her most faithful, protective guardian? The most wise of them all? The most legendary?

"It's all right." Auron ignored her and began to walk forward, looking at all the young people surrounding him. He hit Kimahri on the chest, as if to say, "She's yours to protect now." And he kept walking until he reached Tidus. He stood by the young man and said, "It's been long enough."

Auron then walked past Yuna, and he drew his katana, placing it on his shoulder.

"This is your world now," he told them all before fading away completely. Everyone was quiet. That great, powerful warrior...their wise leader...their friend...was now gone forever.

And this was only the beginning.

}{}{}{

I watched in awed silence as each of Yuna's aeons appeared. I also noticed the others, like Anima and Yojimbo, appear as well. They floated awkwardly in the sky around us.

So Yuna began to dance.

}{}{}{

People watched in horror as Sin's body floated in the sky, then suddenly it exploded, sending out an orange shockwave over the sky as it exploded. But everywhere and everything was lit up in glory.

}{}{}{

As Yuna danced with her staff, each of the aeons faded away into pyreflies, hundreds of thousands of them. The sky was dark, and starry...so it must've been night when this all happened. Yuna kept her eyes closed the whole time. I wanted to, too, but I knew this might be the most amazing sight yet, so I forced myself to stay calm and watch.

When the leftover of Sin were sent, they also exploded into pyreflies, and you could hear the souls of the dead crying out in joy as they flew away to eternal slumber.

}{}{}{

In Mount Gagazet, the fayth attached to the cave wall began to disappear, one by one. They were replaced with stone, becoming an eternal part of the rock itself. The large water tower slowly descended until all that was left was just a giant ball of water. But even then, the water droplet broke into tiny pieces, like bubbles, each with a face of someone on them. Someone who was a dream.

Tidus was one of them.

}{}{}{

Everyone else around me was distracted by all the beautiful lights in the sky, the pyreflies and the stars. But I could only watch him, and I tensed up all over as I saw him look down. He was fading.

Yuna noticed, too, and she quickly shook her head, her lips pursed.

"Yuna, I have to go," Tidus said, putting his hands on his hips. Yuna shook her head once more. "I'm sorry I couldn't show you Zanarkand."

We all watched in horror as Tidus slowly looked at us all, then began to walk away.

"Don't go!" I wanted to shout. But my throat had already closed up. It took all of my strength not to break down and cry.

Tidus paused for a moment, then quickly said, "Goodbye!" He began to run off.

"Hey!" Wakka shouted, reaching out to his friend. Rikku began to trot after him.

"We're gonna see you again...?" she cried, unsure of her own words.

But Tidus kept walking, and he didn't turn back. With every step, my heart was breaking.

And then Yuna sprinted forward after him. She had the courage to do something I desperately wanted to try...but I knew I couldn't mess things up any more than I already had. I could only watch him disappear.

"Yuna!" Kimahri called to her, but she didn't stop. If I had been her, I wouldn't have stopped, either.

When she reached Tidus, she ran right through him, and she fell helplessly onto the deck of the airship. Everyone gasped as she lied there. Tidus just stood there, back to her, staring at the tip of his shoes.

Pyreflies began to float around him, as if to say, "come home." He lifted his hands to look at them. He was fading. There was nothing any of us could do.

Finally Yuna pushed herself up, her back to us.

"I love you," she said quietly. I knew that if we could've seen her face, she would've been smiling.

}{}{}{

Tidus quickly turned over his shoulder to look at Yuna, unsure of what to do next.

Somewhere in his heart, he loved her as she loved him, and it was totally and one hundred percent mutual.

But there was this other dominating part of his heart, and it did not belong to Yuna.

No...it belonged to the girl who was standing in front of him, lips pursed, eyes wet with tears. Her hair blew around her face wildly, but she didn't tamper with it. She just stared at him.

Dylan.

She was the one he loved most.

Tidus felt so incredibly bad for doing this to them. If only he had thought things through a little more before breaking everyone's heart.

So he walked forward to Yuna, and slowly he put his hand as close to her shoulder as he could without simply passing through her. He held her there like that for a few moments. He could tell that Yuna was shaking all over.

He simply couldn't drag this out anymore.

Taking a deep breath, Tidus walked forward, through Yuna, and toward the edge of the airship. He paused for a moment, remembering all the times he had spent here in Spira. The friends he had made, the battles fought and won.

Suddenly a promise popped into his head.

"I can't let you go. I'll find a way to get you back. I swear it, if it's the last thing I ever do."

Tidus smiled. They would find a way.

He turned around and grinned. Yuna grinned back weakly, thinking he was looking at her. But in reality, Tidus was looking at Dylan. Dylan realized it; she inhaled sharply, her eyes widening. She hesitated to take a step forward, but Tidus shook his head a little. She stopped, smiling a little. She understood, so he turned back around.

He backed up a little, then ran as fast as he could, then jumped.

He jumped off the side of the airship and into the clouds below him.

It wasn't like falling had been before. It was just downward floating now. His life in this world was officially over.

Braska was there to greet him, along with Auron. People he belonged with.

And finally, his father, who held out his hand.

Tidus greeted it eagerly with a hi-five.

He was home.

}{}{}{

I didn't know how much longer I would be able to hold off on crying. I was shaking all over; even my teeth were chattering.

"Dylan..." Lulu murmured, putting a hand on my shoulder. She then gasped. I didn't understand why.

"You too?" Wakka shouted, staring at me.

"Wh-what do you mean?" I asked them, a tear rolling down my cheek at last. Yuna turned to look at me.

"You're going, too," she said, her eyes sad.

I immediately looked down at my hands. They _looked_ normal. I _felt_ normal. I didn't _think_ I was an unsent.

But maybe I was. Maybe I just had never realized it before, like Tidus. Maybe that was what he was trying to tell me just then...

But I knew I just wasn't. It couldn't be that easy for me. Hell no.

I was just fading to go home, back to Earth. I let out a sob and ran out in front of my friends to address them all at once. To rip the band-aid off.

"Guys!" I cried, tears rolling down my cheeks as I staggered backward. "Thank you! I love you all so much..."

Rikku gasped.

"No! You're not leaving!" she screamed.

"I'm sorry!" I said, turning around and running forward some more. I then stopped, and I turned to Yuna.

"Dylan..." she murmured, her mouth hanging open in slight disbelief.

"I... Thank you so much, Yuna," I said, bowing to her. I never would've thought in my wildest dreams that she and I could've been such good friends. But I didn't know how long that would last.

If she found out about what had happened between Tidus and me, there would be no friendship at all.

"I'm so sorry!" I cried out to her. She shook her head, confused.

I didn't bother elaborating. I knew I couldn't stay any longer. But how was I supposed to go?

Slowly, I turned to look where Tidus had jumped off the ship. Maybe...

At a full sprint, I raced to the edge of the ship and flung myself off of it.

At first, I was pretty sure I was just going to fall to my death, because nothing happened as I plummeted through the orange clouds.

Suddenly a figure appeared before me, waiting for my fall.

It was him.

Tidus stretched out his hand, smiling at me, hope in his eyes.

I desperately reached out to him with both hands, hoping he would catch me and make this horrible dream end.

I felt my hands grab his tightly.


	30. Chapter 30: Someday:::PLEASE READ MEMO

Chapter 30: Someday-PLEASE READ THE MEMO (Song: youtube - watch?v=jhj4B4t0itc)

Memo: Well, everyone, this story is now concluding, which means break time for me! I desperately need to get myself caught up from the busy schedule my summer presented me with, so I will resume updates no later than the first day of fall, September 23rd! At that point, I will hopefully be closer to where I want to be writing-wise, and I will definitely begin posting SOS' sequel. ^^

Also, when the sequel is completely posted, I will resume posting on Christmas with not the next fic, but something a little bit different for you all. I think you'll like it though. What is it, you ask? A wonderful Christmas present from me to all of you! I'll keep doing my best-and thank you for your continuous support! -Emi

FLASHBACK START

"Dylan. Turn around and look at me," the familiar voice commanded.

*I have _got _to be dreaming,* Dylan told herself. *Well, whatever, I'll just play along. Maybe the dream will end more quickly that way.*

She quickly turned around, her wet hair clinging to her face. It was most definitely not a dream.

"Auron," she murmured, stunned. "Is this...real?"

"Unfortunately for you, yes, it is," Auron answered her, his dark eyes staring her down. "Tell me, are you ready for your story to begin?"

"My...story? Wow, this really _is_ Final Fantasy X!"

"Just answer the question, Dylan..."

"Well, what other choice do I have? Sure," she finally replied, her face becoming serious.

"Good. Then we leave this place."

Before either of them could say anything more, Dylan's entire bedroom was lit up with pyreflies. She frowned, closing her eyes.

*If this is real, then...it will happen.*

FLASHBACK END

I opened my eyes slowly, my vision blurring into shapes that finally made sense.

For some odd reason, I was sprawled out over my window seat. And I was wet. What had just happened here? I was home...

"Ah!" I gasped, realizing what had occurred. I looked up quickly to see the leftovers of a storm passing by my open window. I was wet because it had stormed.

Slowly I uncurled my sleepy hands to close my window so I didn't get sick. Something suddenly fell onto my bare feet. I jumped and looked down in surprise. My stomach lurched.

I couldn't believe my eyes. But it was there. Gently I picked up a black glove. At first I hoped it was just a marching band glove. But then I put it to my cheek.

It was still warm.

All of my memories of Spira suddenly rushed into my head, and the realization of what happened and where I was hit me hard.

I had grabbed Tidus' hand. That was my last memory. _This was his glove_.

Oh. Shit.

Screaming at the top of my lungs, I flung the glove away. It skidded under my bed. I couldn't stop screaming. I'm sure I woke up every person on my street, considering my window was completely open.

Even a knock on my door wasn't enough to calm me down. My mother rushed in, closing my window with a slam.

"Dylan! Dylan!" she shouted, shaking my shoulders hard. My voice started to waver, to calm down, but my heart was still thundering. "What's wrong? Why was your window open? Why were you screaming?"

I sat there, panting, for a few minutes before I could even think of how to answer her questions.

"I..." I exhaled slowly, closing my eyes. "I had the most awful dream. Maybe because of the storm. I...must've fallen asleep with my window open."

My mom sighed in relief. "That's all?" She smiled. "You're such a strange kid sometimes, Dylly."

I cringed at the sugary sweet nickname. I was definitely home again...

"Wh-what time is it?" I asked her hesitantly.

"It's almost eleven," my mother replied. Amazing. No time had passed at all since my departure.

"Okay. I think I'm just going to dry off and go to bed," I told her, standing shakily.

"Okay, good night, sweetheart."

The second my mother closed the door to my room, I snatched up my cell phone.

Number one on my speed-dial was Emi.

"What's up?" Emi greeted me.

"You're never going to believe what just happened to me!" I hissed into the phone, wanting to scream.

"What?" she asked eagerly.

"Get Trisha on here, too!" I commanded her, pacing around my room nervously.

A few seconds later, Trisha clicked on.

"Howdy doodie," she said cheerfully. She was, like me, a night person.

"Okay, please don't think I'm insane," I said quickly. "The storm tonight-"

"Yeah, that was a doozy," Emi laughed.

"It wasn't a storm! It was Sin!"

There was a pause, then I heard someone snort. My eyes narrowed.

"Are you referring to, like, Sin from the tenth Final Fantasy game?" Emi asked me mockingly.

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry, but that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard you say," Emi finished.

"But I'm not lying. I swear, I have proof!"

"Like what?" Trisha asked, amused.

"Like..." I fished under my bed for the glove. "Well...okay, tomorrow, come to my house. I'll show you."

"Right. How do we know you're not going to make something up tonight?" Emi snorted.

"C'mon!" I said desperately. "You guys know I wouldn't make something like this up!"

"Yes we do," Trisha and Emi said in unison.

"When have I ever..." I growled out the rest of my sentence.

I couldn't believe this. My best friends in the world refused to even _think_ to believe me, even for a moment!

"Fine. We'll come over tomorrow," Emi sighed.

"Good," I grunted, ending the conversation. Jerks.

Sighing, I held out the glove in front of me, inspecting it. It looked worn. It wasn't a fake. It was totally and one hundred percent his.

Suddenly a new idea popped into my head.

"Addison!" I mouthed to myself. Duh! I hit myself in the forehead as punishment for being so stupid. He would actually believe me.

But before I could dial his number, my phone rang.

It was playing the Final Fantasy victory tune.

I dove onto my bed and grabbed my phone quickly.

"Hello?" I gasped.

"Dylan, are you okay?" Addison asked me quickly. I blinked.

"What do you mean?" I replied, staring at my bedspread. I happened to glance down at my free hand, then gasped quietly.

The scars from our battle with Jecht had not disappeared.

"You went to Spira, didn't you!" Addison exclaimed.

"Yeah! Yeah!" I cried, overjoyed. I hoped this wasn't a joke. "How did you know?"

"I was there, too!" he said, laughing.

"No you weren't," I accused him, my heart pounding.

"Yes, I was! I saw you with Tidus and everyone. I was in Macalania Woods when you guys passed through the first time!" he continued. "I tried to catch up with you, but you guys were moving so fast...so I went to Moonflow and stayed with the Hypello."

"How did you get back here then?" I asked him, amazed. I wasn't sure if he was just pulling my leg or not.

"I dunno...when you guys defeated Sin...well, I started fading." He sighed. "And now I'm back at my dorm like it never happened."

"That's how it is with me!" I exclaimed, examining my scars. They looked pretty bad... "My friends don't believe me."

"I haven't even bothered telling mine," he said, chuckling. "But I gotta say, Yuna is even prettier in real life." I rolled my eyes. "You looked good, too, with that purple tunic thing."

My heart nearly stopped. I knew for sure that he was telling the truth.

"Addy...you don't know how happy I am to hear you say these things," I murmured, tears rolling down my cheeks.

"Dylan..." He sighed. "We've _got_ to find a way back."

"What?" I was surprised.

"It doesn't end here. Didn't you ever play Final Fantasy X-2?"

"No."

He laughed, and I couldn't help but do the same.

"You really need to, Dylan. You have got to get back there."

"Me?" I gasped. "What about you?"

"I had nothing to do with Yuna. You're her guardian, right? Her story isn't over." He sighed quietly. "If you love Tidus as much as I think you do, you need to find a way back."

My throat tightened for a moment, leaving me speechless.

"Okay. Thank you, Addy," I said quietly.

"Go to bed."

"Fine."

Grinning, I hung up on him and flopped onto my bed.

"I'll find you again," I mouthed, squeezing my eyes shut. My hand trembled as I stroked his glove. "I promise."

}{}{}{

The next morning I awoke to two people staring at me.

"Wake up," they said in unison. I blinked.

"If you invited us over here for a reason, then wake up," Emi added. I sat up quickly.

"You have to believe me," I insisted, staring at Emi and Trisha. They shrugged.

"What's your proof?" Trisha asked me.

I sighed and held out my hands, showing them the brutal scars.

"This is from our fight with Jecht," I explained as they observed them closely. "They're from the lasers. I wasn't paying attention." I half-smiled.

"How do we know you didn't just do that a few days ago?" Emi accused me, eyeing me suspiciously.

"What? You would've _noticed_ them then!" I snapped.

"Not necessarily," Trisha pointed out. I growled.

"Fine! Then try to explain this!"

I held out Tidus' glove, and Trisha gasped.

"Where did you get that?" she cried, peering at it in disbelief.

"When Tidus faded...I knew I was leaving, too, so I jumped in after him," I explained. "I tried to grab his hand, but this must've slipped off when I did."

"How do we know it's not yours?" Emi snapped.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "I'll try it on and show you. If it's his, it'll be too big."

Emi nodded in agreement. She knew I had unusually small hands for my body type.

Slowly I slipped the glove on my right hand. Emi's jaw dropped. I was relieved.

It was much too big. It really was his.

"I wouldn't just tell you this stuff to be an idiot," I insisted, pulling the glove off and pocketing it momentarily. "I was there. I joined them in Moonflow...and I saw...all of it."

Trisha looked ready to cry. Emi's face softened.

"Then...you have to play Final Fantasy X-2," she said suddenly. She opened her tote bag and pulled it out, handing it to me. I was shocked she had it with her. "It was just in case you were telling the truth," she admitted, smiling.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

"...Are you okay?" Trisha asked me.

"...No," I admitted. I knew I never would be. "But don't worry about it." I sat down on my bed. "I just have to keep looking for a way back."

"Okay," Emi said, nodding. "We'll try to help you...if we can."

I nodded back in thanks.

Slowly, both of them left my room, closing the door behind them. I sighed, pulling out Tidus' glove.

*I'll find a way back,* I told him. *I'll never give up.*

Smiling, I remembered Yuna's last words of the game...

}{}{}{

A sharp, hi-pitched whistle pierced the blue sky. There was no reply.

Yuna inhaled deeply, whistling again as loud as she could.

"Yuna, it's time," said a voice from behind her. Yuna knew it was only Lulu. She lowered her head sadly. No such luck. Slowly she turned and followed Lulu from the docks all the way to Luca's stadium.

People were cheering and screaming madly as Yuna entered the maester's box to present her speech. She wasn't grateful for the attention, but she was definitely grateful to be alive. When they quieted, she began.

"Everyone...everyone has lost something precious," she started, quiet at first. "Everyone here has lost homes, dreams, and friends. Everybody... Now, Sin is finally dead. Now, Spira is ours again."

The entire audience clapped; the sound was incredible. Yuna smiled before pressing on.

"Working together... Now we can make new home for ourselves, and new dreams," she continued, her face brightening considerably. The crowd cheered, growing louder as she continued on. "Although I know the journey will be hard, we have lots of time. Together, we will rebuild Spira. The road is ahead of us, so let's start out today."

Yuna turned to look at her friends as the crowd burst into joyful noise. Wakka gestured to her as if to say, "You nailed it!" She smiled, grateful for their support.

"Just, one more thing..." Yuna said suddenly as she turned back to the crowd. "The people and the friends that we have lost, or the dreams that have faded..."

Yuna paused to let her memories flood her. They filled her to the brim with warmth. All of her friends, Dylan...and Tidus. That shining moment in Macalania. She smiled with hope.

"Never forget them."


End file.
